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On April 8th, the Pennsylvania Society of Addiction Medicine (PSAM) sent letters to key stakeholders within the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health urging for the tobacco-free policy to be reintroduced at the city’s behavioral health facilities. For three years, the Department of Behavioral Health upheld a tobacco-free policy at all contingent behavioral health facilities. However, this policy was reversed late last year. 

In the letter, PSAM noted that high percentages of patients in addiction treatment smoke tobacco and many die from tobacco-related causes. Additionally, evidence suggests that continued use of tobacco after treatment lowers the likelihood of recovery and increases the chances of returning to use. Importantly, despite prevailing misconceptions to the contrary, the treatment of tobacco-use in concurrence with other substance use disorders is not associated with worse outcomes. As such, PSAM cautioned that the decision to remove tobacco-free policy and allow tobacco use at treatment facilities is a step backward. In turn, PSAM called on behavioral health leaders to reverse course and reinstate the tobacco-free policies at all contingent facilities in Philadelphia.