Did you know that smoking can affect not just your physical health, but your mental health as well? Or that quitting smoking can increase the effectiveness of medications for depression and anxiety?
These topics and many more were discussed on the afternoon of May 31, as VA hosted a Twitter chat in recognition of both World No Tobacco Day and the final day of Mental Health Month.
VA teamed with experts from 10 organizations to discuss the ties between tobacco use and mental health—including the ties with substance use disorders and PTSD. Participating organizations included:
- American Psychiatric Association
- American Psychological Association
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office on Smoking and Health
- Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of American
- Geographic Health Equity Alliance
- National Institute on Drug Abuse
- National Behavioral Health Network for Tobacco and Cancer Control
- Smokefree.gov
- University of California, San Francisco’s Smoking Cessation Leadership Center
- Cliff Douglas, the American Cancer Society vice president for tobacco control
Below are highlights from the chat. Click here to read the full #WNTD chat on Twitter.
Click here to read the full #WNTD chat on Twitter.
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