Press Release

For Immediate Release
Contact: Jerry Carey
(856) 566-6171
Careyge@umdnj.edu

At UMDNJ-School of Public Health
Tobacco Dependence Clinic Enrolls 1,000th "Quitter"

The Tobacco Dependence Clinic in New Brunswick at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-School of Public Health has enrolled its 1,000th patient since the clinic opened less than three years ago.

"Even though our patients tend to be highly addicted to tobacco, our success rates are higher than the national average for similar programs," said Dr. Jonathan Foulds, director of the Tobacco Dependence Program at the UMDNJ-School of Public Health. "Patients who complete our clinic's programs are four times more likely to succeed in quitting smoking than those who try to quit on their own."

Patients at the clinic receive individualized treatment that includes a comprehensive initial assessment and a combination of counseling and medication to help them beat their nicotine addiction. "Our typical patient has already tried to quit smoking at least three times, has smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for more than 25 years and usually 'lights up' within 10 minutes of waking each morning," Dr. Foulds said.

The number of patients seen at the Tobacco Dependence Clinic has steadily increased since it opened its doors in January 2001. That month, 19 patients came to the clinic for help with their tobacco addiction. Today, the clinic sees around 120 patients each month and is on pace to see as many new patients this year as it did in the previous two years combined.

"We attribute our success to a combination of psychological support and pharmacological treatment, and we are pioneers in the use of combination pharmacotherapy in the treatment of tobacco addiction," said Dr Foulds.

The clinic, which is funded by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, is the treatment component of the Tobacco Dependence Program at the UMDNJ-School of Public Health. In addition to treating patients, the staff at the clinic is also involved in training staff at New Jersey's network of tobacco dependence treatment centers known as New Jersey Quitcenters.

To arrange an interview with Dr. Foulds, contact Jerry Carey at the UMDNJ News Service at (856) 566-6171 or at (973) 972-3000. Interviews with patients of the clinic are also available.

Details of the clinic's work can be found at www.tobaccoprogram.org. Click on, "What's New" and "Annual Report" for the clinic's latest report, and click on "Stop Magazine" to see interviews with patients.

UMDNJ comprises New Jersey's only medical schools, the state's only dental school, a nursing school, a school of public health, a graduate school of biomedical sciences and a school of health related professions on campuses in Newark, Piscataway/New Brunswick, Scotch Plains, Camden and Stratford. UMDNJ also operates University Hospital, Newark, and University Behavioral HealthCare. It is affiliated with more than 200 health care and educational institutions throughout the state.

###