Features

World No Tobacco Day: Stories of Action and Impact

On May 31, World No Tobacco Day, we invited our partners to take part in a shared commitment: choose health through one small action. They responded with creativity, compassion, and impact.

Across our network, partners hosted community events, led educational outreach, and shared powerful lived experiences. From bilingual wellness gatherings to personal recovery stories, each effort demonstrated how one small action can spark meaningful conversations, raise awareness, and connect people with support for quitting.

One Residential Advisor at The Lakes Treatment Center shared how vaping gradually became something they no longer felt in control of. A moment of panic when they couldn’t access a vape became a turning point, leading them to quit completely. “Today, I’ve been vape-free for over three months,” they shared. “My breathing has improved, and I continue to share my experience with residents to educate, encourage, and offer hope to others struggling with nicotine addiction.”

During ¡A LA SALUD!, a bilingual mental health and wellness community event in East Los Angeles, The Wall Las Memorias team engaged with members of the Latino community to discuss the health impacts of tobacco use. By sharing educational resources and having open, non-judgmental conversations about tobacco cessation, The Wall Las Memorias was able to connect attendees with support services and local health resources. Family-friendly activities and music helped foster a sense of community, demonstrating how meaningful engagement can open the door to conversations about health and wellness.

Together, these actions show the power of meeting people where they are and how even small actions can lead to lasting change in support of healthier, tobacco-free communities.

Partner Spotlight: LifeLong Medical Care

Our partners play a vital role in advancing tobacco prevention and cessation efforts across California. This month, we're pleased to spotlight one of the organizations helping create healthier communities through innovative programs and services.

LifeLong Medical Care provides high-quality medical, dental, behavioral health, and social services to people of all ages throughout Alameda and Contra Costa Counties while developing innovative models of care for older adults, people with disabilities, and families.

Through its Tobacco Prevention & Treatment Training Program, LifeLong helps build local tobacco cessation capacity by training providers in substance use disorder, behavioral health, clinical, and community settings. By equipping providers with the knowledge and skills to support people who use tobacco, the program is helping expand access to evidence-based tobacco treatment and create healthier communities throughout the Bay Area.

Through its commitment to improving health outcomes in underserved communities, LifeLong Medical Care demonstrates the value of CaCTC’s investment in training, partnership, and provider capacity-building. Please contact the Tobacco Prevention & Treatment Training Program at LifeLong Medical Care for more information about trainings and technical assistance they have to offer.

New Webinar Recording: Behavioral Health and Tobacco Use: Addressing Disparities, Improving Outcomes

In May, SCLC hosted a webinar titled “Behavioral Health and Tobacco Use: Addressing Disparities, Improving Outcomes”.

In this webinar, Brian Hurley, MD, MBA, FAPA, DFASAM, Immediate Past President of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, Medical Director of the Bureau of Substance Abuse Prevention and Control at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and Assistant Professor of Addiction Medicine in the Department of Family Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and Leah Wentworth, PhD, MPH, National Director in the Office of Science and Research at the National Alliance on Mental Illness, explored the harms of tobacco, shared treatment resources for individuals with behavioral health conditions, and highlighted key references with credible citations.

The recording is intended to serve as an educational resource that complements the Behavioral Health and Tobacco Use presentation tool and slide deck.

Access the recording of the webinar.

Explore the Behavioral Health and Tobacco Use presentation tool and slide deck.

Announcements

Tools and Resources

• Thinking about going tobacco-free? Find out what stage of change your facility is at with our interactive online Tobacco-free Toolkit for Behavioral Health Agencies

• Looking for a fact sheet that explains the connection between behavioral health and tobacco? Download our new Tobacco and Behavioral Health Fact Sheet
  
• Rx for Change is a comprehensive tobacco cessation education tool that equips clinicians, students, and clinical staff with the skills to provide effective tobacco cessation counseling. Dynamic structure, externally reviewed, and continuously updated. Free CE credit is available.

• Want to know how the CaCTC can help you and your organization? Find what you need under Resources on our website CACTC.UCSF.EDU
  
• Kick It California is a free tobacco cessation program that focuses on motivation, ambivalence, planning and skill-building. They offer support to Californians looking quit tobacco and nicotine through proven, science-based strategies and one-on-one coaching for 13-29 year olds looking to quit marijuana.



Explore Our Affiliated Centers at UCSF

• The Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education (CTCRE) is also a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre on Tobacco Control. CTCRE carries out its work through rigorous and relevant research that reaches policymakers and the public.

• The UCSF Fontana Tobacco Treatment Center offers classes as well as individual consultations with health care professionals trained in treating tobacco addiction. Fontana helps individuals who use tobacco – including cigarettes, vapes and smokeless tobacco – maximize their chances of quitting for good.