Preliminary Findings from a Clinical Demonstration Project for Veterans Returning from Iraq or Afghanistan

Authors: Beckham, Jean C.¹; Becker, Mary E.¹; Hamlett-Berry, Kim W.²; Drury, Pamela D.¹; Kang, Han K.³; Wiley, Matthew T.¹; Calhoun, Patrick S.¹; Moore, Scott D.¹; Bright, Mary Anne⁴; McFall, Miles E.⁵

Source: Military Medicine, Volume 173, Number 5, May 2008 , pp. 448-451(4)

Publisher: AMSUS - Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

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Abstract:

Military veterans are at high risk for nicotine dependence. This clinical demonstration project used invitational letters, referral to the National Cancer Institute's Smoking Quitline, and local Veteran Affairs prescriptions for tobacco cessation to evaluate whether this low-cost method would potentially reduce smoking in separated veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. Three cohorts (500 each) of recently separated veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq were contacted by survey letters. Interested veterans received follow-up telephone calls using standardized scripts. They were referred to the National Cancer Institute's Smoking Quitline (1-877-44U-QUIT) and offered local Veteran Affairs pharmacologic treatment for smoking cessation. Forty-three percent of respondents who were smokers were interested in the clinical program; of these, 77% participated. At 2 months follow-up, 38% of participants self-reported maintained smoking abstinence. Results suggested that the intervention was feasible and assisted the small number of veterans who participated.

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: Durham Veterans Administration Medical Center, 508 Fulton Street, 116B, Durham, NC 27705. 2: Department of Veterans Affairs (13B), VA Public Health Strategic Health Care Group, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420. 3: Department of Veterans Affairs (135), VA Environmental Epidemiology Service, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20422. 4: Office of Cancer Information Service, National Cancer Institute, 6116 Executive Boulevard, Room 3035A, Rockville, MD 20852. 5: Seattle Veterans Administration Medical Center, 1660 South Columbian Way, Seattle, WA 98108.

Publication date: 2008-05-01

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Military Medicine is the Association's official monthly journal. The objective of the Journal is to promote awareness of Federal medicine by providing a forum for responsible discussion of common ideas and problems relevant to Federal healthcare. Its mission is: To increase healthcare education by providing scientific and other information to its readers; to facilitate communication; and to offer a prestige publication for members' writings.
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Preliminary Findings from a Clinical Demonstration Project for Veterans Returning from Iraq or Afghanistan

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