March 14, 2023

We hope you enjoy this quarterly newsletter from the Training & Education Program at the MaineHealth Center for Tobacco Independence. CTI provides education and training on evidence-based tobacco treatment to healthcare and behavioral health professionals in Maine on behalf of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services. Our goal is to improve access to high quality, best practice tobacco treatment and create a network of tobacco treatment specialists across the state.

What's the Research? Tobacco Use Disorder and Cardiovascular Health Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of disease and death, responsible for 17.9 million deaths annually and 31% of all deaths globally. Most CVD deaths are due to coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke. Tobacco use is among the leading causes of CVD, accounting for up to 30% of CVD deaths, depending on the country. This study examines the impact of cigarette smoking and the use of other tobacco and nicotine products on cardiovascular disease. Smoking increases the occurrence of both acute and chronic cardiovascular diseases, and the harmful effects are considerably and relatively quickly reversible after quitting smoking. Some of the suggested, and evidence-based treatment options include NRT medications and counseling.

It’s important to note that quitting smoking rapidly and substantially reduces CVD-related and other health risks both in healthy smokers and smokers with CVD. Ultimately, screening for cigarette smoking and other tobacco use should be part of every health-care encounter. The diagnosis of CVD should always generate a strong message that quitting smoking as soon as possible is essential to maintaining cardiovascular health.  Tobacco use disorder and cardiovascular health - wiley online library (no date). Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/add.15703 (Accessed: February 9, 2023).  To read the full article, click here.

Upcoming Trainings

Treating Tobacco Together: Essential Skills Training Prerequisite: None Target Audience: All health education and public health professionals Registration Fee: FREE Upcoming Training Dates: May 9, 10, 11, 2023: 3 Day Essential Skills Training Session 1: 9:00am - 1:10pm EST Session 2: 9:00am - 11:30am EST Session 3: 9:00am - 11:20am EST *Requirement for the National Certificate in Tobacco Treatment Practice* 6 CME/CEUs Available

Click HERE to Register

Treating Tobacco Together: Intensive Skills Training Prerequisite: Treating Tobacco Together: Essential Skills Training Target Audience: All health education and public health professionals Upcoming Training Dates: April 12-13th, 2023 In Person at 110 Free St. Portland Maine Pre-Work Included due before live sessions *Requirement for the National Certificate in Tobacco Treatment Practice* 13.5 CME/CEUs Available

Click HERE to Register

Save the Date: 2023 Maine Tobacco Treatment and Prevention Conference

Join with other tobacco treatment, prevention and policy stakeholders at the Maine Tobacco Treatment and Prevention Conference. This year’s conference on Health Equity: Strategies to Reduce Tobacco-Related Disparities will be held virtually on June 6-7, 2023 The event will feature Brian King, Ph.D., MPH, Director of the FDA Center for Tobacco Products as keynote speaker. Conference sessions will include nationally recognized speakers and local experts discussing a wide array of tobacco treatment and prevention topics, new research and innovative approaches to tobacco control. *Requirement for the National Certificate in Tobacco Treatment Practice* Additional information and registration will be available soon at CTIMaine.org/Conference.

Additional Offerings Look out for our addition to compliment the MaineHealth Center for Tobacco Independence Training and Education Newsletter! We're releasing media offerings on a range of tobacco topics each quarter. Check Out Our Latest Episode!

For this quarter’s soundbite, Ciara Sablock, CTI's Program Manager on the Training and Education team interviews David Spaulding, a Senior Program Manager at the MaineHealth Center for Tobacco Independence about referrals to the Maine QuitLink. We hope you enjoy!

Click HERE to Listen to the Episode

We will be archiving our Newsletters and other media offerings on our CTI Website if you missed them!

Click Here To View More!

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According to the American Heart Association, these are a couple of ways your body will start to recover when you quit smoking: In the first 20 minutes: your blood pressure and heart rate recover from the nicotine-induced spikes. After 12 hours: the carbon monoxide levels in your blood return to normal. After two weeks: your circulation and lung function begin to improve. After one year: your risk of coronary heart disease is reduced by 50 percent. Click here for more information.

For more information about the Training & Education Program, visit: Tobacco Cessation Training | Center for Tobacco Independence (ctimaine.org)

The MaineHealth Center for Tobacco Independence (CTI) Tobacco Treatment Training and Education Program CTI provides education and training on evidence-based tobacco treatment to healthcare and behavioral health professionals in Maine on behalf of the Maine CDC, DHHS. Our goal is to improve access to high quality, best practice tobacco treatment and create a network of tobacco treatment specialists across the state.