San Francisco VA Health Care System

Smoking Cessation Program

About the Program

The Smoking Cessation Program provides assistance to cigarette smokers who want to quit smoking. Many of the smokers referred to this clinic have already developed smoking-related diseases of the heart and lungs, but are addicted to nicotine and need help in successfully quitting smoking and remaining abstinent.

In the Smoking Cessation Group, cigarette smoking is viewed as an addictive behavior, involving both chemical and psychological (behavioral) components. The treatment provided in this clinic is intended to address both of these aspects of tobacco addiction.

Treatment

The Smoking Cessation Group is a drop-in group that meets every Thursday from 11:15 a.m. - 12 noon in Bldg. 1, 1st Floor, Room 14. Participation in this group is VOLUNTARY, and the group involves behavioral counseling, nicotine replacement therapy, other smoking cessation medications such as bupropion and varenicline, and group intervention sessions. At the initial visit, new patients are evaluated by a smoking cessation provider regarding their smoking habit, nicotine dependence, and readiness to quit. The first step in quitting involves setting a date. For those individuals who appear ready to quit, a prescribing physician provides further consultation regarding nicotine replacement therapy and other smoking cessation medications.

Patients who participate in the Smoking Cessation Clinic treatment program attend weekly group sessions to learn about behavior modification, stress reduction, self-hypnosis, relapse prevention, and other strategies for successfully quitting and remaining abstinent from cigarettes.

Clinical Research Studies

We often test new forms of treatment for smoking cessation.  Patients may be invited to participate in one or more of these clinical treatment studies.

We are currently seeking Veterans to participate in a Stay Quit Smoking App Study. This study is for Veterans age 18-69 who have had symptoms of PTSD, who want to quit smoking, and who have a smartphone. For more information about this study, click here.

For More Information

For further information about the Smoking Cessation program, ask your physician, pharmacist, nurse, or contact Bill Clift at 415-221-4810, ext. 2-4922.

For information on the TeleQuit smoking cessation program for employees, click here.