Substance abuse counselor certification in California: how is nicotine addiction addressed?

Persons entering substance abuse treatment smoke at rates three to four times that of the general population, but programs providing substance abuse treatment rarely address comorbid nicotine addiction. With California's recent adoption of a regulation requiring alcohol and other drug (AOD) counselors to be certified, this study explored the degree to which nicotine addiction education was required or recommended to obtain certification by examining pertinent documentation and Web sites. Findings reveal two main points. First, the text of the California AOD Counselor Certification regulation and supporting documents make no mention of cigarettes, nicotine, smoking, or tobacco, and thus do not mandate or recommend they be addressed in the counselor certification process. Second, although nicotine or tobacco were not mentioned in regulatory or supporting documents, four of the 10 certifying organizations mentioned nicotine at least once in handbooks, program books, continuing education topics, or other materials available online. One certifying organization offered specialization in smoking and nicotine addiction as separate tracks within its certification training program. While systematic inclusion of smoking and nicotine addiction in counselor training offers one strategy to address smoking in substance abuse treatment settings, these topics are not addressed in regulations or supporting documents governing the certification of California AOD counselors.