Following the pioneers. Addressing tobacco in chemical dependency treatment.

Traditionally, tobacco has been ignored as an issue in the treatment of addictions to alcohol and other drugs. Beginning in 1985, and especially since the publication of the 1988 Surgeon General's Report on nicotine addiction, a handful of treatment programs have worked at coming to terms with tobacco. This article explores the reasons for addressing nicotine in the course of managing other addictions and summarizes the lessons learned from the programs which have done pioneering work in this area. The reasons for addressing nicotine are compelling, and the accumulated experiences among the pioneering programs are consistently encouraging. Regional projects to help alcohol and drug treatment programs come to terms with tobacco are an appropriate next step.