So your club is looking for added services to offer clients ... and nicotine dependency treatment seems like a good choice for many reasons. Before diving into a program, consider following these fifteen steps. Notice that program delivery is not one of the first steps!

• Allow adequate time (1-2 years) for full program benefits to become apparent.
• Plan adequately and prepare to be flexible with your expectations; establish step-wise policies to be implemented over time.
• Obtain fully-informed commitment of management in writing.
• Form a committee of smokers/nonsmokers to decide on implementation of policies and plans with staff and clients.
• Make firm decisions and clear policy statements.
• Educate entire staff. Offer in-service training sessions regarding benefits of nicotine freedom using printed materials, video and audio lessons.
• Be willing to deal with fear and other consequences.
• Send relevant staff to training workshops and yearly updates available through the Nicotine Recovery Institute.
• Make treatment available to staff and their families if smokers and smokeless-tobacco users are present on staff.
• Offer printed materials, such as brochures and posters to educate clients.
• Assess smoking status and stage of readiness to change on Information Forms given to clients.
• Make public statements about programs -- press releases, advertisements.
• Offer the intervention.
• Use the Fagerstrom Test to assess degree of nicotine addiction; recommend that individuals contact their personal physicians to prescribe nicotine replacement medication (optional).
• Expect initial resistance, be patient, and trust the process. This will take more time than you expect to catch on... but, oh, what a market!

12/29/97