Hennepin County Adult Detention Center

Smoking rates remain above 60% for individuals involved in the criminal justice system and contribute to elevated mortality rates in this population. Addressing smoking disparities among justice-involved individuals is a critical public health issue in Minnesota, one of a few states with rising incarceration rates. People who are incarcerated represent the intersection of multiple high-priority populations (disproportionately African-American, Native American, low-income, homeless, on Medicaid, and suffering from mental illness and substance use disorders). This study examines the impact of a smoking cessation intervention for individuals discharged from jail to the community on smoking abstinence. Participants will be randomized to either 1) guideline-based, in-person smoking cessation counseling during incarceration, telephone counseling after incarceration, and nicotine replacement, or 2) enhanced treatment as usual. This study's findings will be used to develop a larger, multi-site study that is fully powered to measure longer-term health and smoking cessation outcomes.