The Duke-UNC Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training Program is excited to announce the expansion of our free Essential Tobacco Treatment Toolkit—a comprehensive resource designed to improve access to evidence-based tobacco and nicotine dependence treatment. The updated toolkit now includes an even wider range of materials created to support both clinicians and individuals who want to quit tobacco.

These new tobacco products are becoming popular, and it is important to understand the health risks of nicotine pouches. In January, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the marketing and sale of 20 different Zyn nicotine pouch products. This does not mean these products are approved by the FDA as a safe drug. It simply means they’ve allowed the company to sell these tobacco products in the US.

Dr. Vilardaga and his team are currently recruiting healthcare professionals who work in primary care, mental health, smoking cessation, or community health care settings for their Digital Access Study. The aim of this study is to understand the implementation, access, and utilization of smoking cessation services in clinics and healthcare centers, particularly for people living with mental health conditions.