Tobacco use is often framed as a physical health issue—but its impact on mental health is just as significant. Many patients believe smoking helps manage stress, anxiety, or mood symptoms. In reality, the evidence increasingly shows the opposite: quitting tobacco can meaningfully improve mental well-being across multiple domains.

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.

Though thousands of flavored and disposable vapes may disappear from store shelves across the country, tobacco prevention and control and health policy experts warn that these bans aren’t enough to protect youth.