The West Virginia University School of Dentistry will help expand access to tobacco treatment care for West Virginia residents with support from a Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation grant that will provide healthcare education through its Certified Tobacco Treatment Training Program (CTTTP).
The award, totaling $31,800, will allow 40 healthcare workers across the Mountain State and 18 BridgeValley Community & Technical College dental hygiene students to complete the dental school’s evidence-based tobacco cessation program free of charge.
“West Virginia's tobacco prevention funding falls far short of CDC recommendations, despite the state's high usage, leaving vital programs like the WV Quitline, school education and coalitions underfunded,” M. Suann Gaydos, MS, director of the Certified Tobacco Treatment Training Program, said. “However, widespread tobacco treatment specialist training and adoption of proven cessation methods by healthcare providers in West Virginia could significantly reduce tobacco use by doubling quit rates and lowering overall tobacco reliance in the state.”
Tobacco usage rates in West Virginia continually rank among the highest in the country for both adults (32.9% compared to 20% nationwide) and youth (27% compared to 8% nationwide). While the majority of tobacco users indicate a desire to quit, success rates remain low due to lack of professional advice or assistance with treatment.
Tobacco Treatment Specialists are trained to assess an individual’s tobacco use and dependence and provide effective, evidence-based interventions for a personalized treatment plan. Specialists are able to offer pharmacotherapy and motivational counseling in addition to follow-up support to help individuals maintain cessation.
Gaydos shared that one healthcare participant’s evaluation of the 2025 asynchronous course stated: “I realized that I knew next to nothing about helping patients quit smoking. Rating scales, relapse strategies, how to utilize motivational interviewing in tobacco cessation and insurance help was all available in this course. I learned so much!”
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the world, and individuals benefit from quitting use almost immediately. Risk of several health concerns, such as heart disease, lung diseases, cancer and stroke, reduce the longer someone is able to remain tobacco free. Among youth, tobacco cessation is critical for brain development that controls attention, learning and impulse control.
The WVU School of Dentistry Certified Tobacco Treatment Training Program is one of only 25 programs in the world accredited by the Council for Tobacco Treatment Training Programs and the first of its kind developed within a school of dentistry. The program is proven to increase knowledge, confidence and skill with evidence-based tobacco treatment strategies.
The program is an online, asynchronous course for professionals in the fields of education, dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health and social work who work in a variety of settings including hospitals, community health centers, medical and dental practices, social service agencies, quit lines and more.
An additional $15,250 contribution from WVU Health Sciences will fund 10 fee waivers for WVU Medicine respiratory therapists and 41 WVU School of Medicine residents.
At WVU Health Sciences, all students enrolled in the dental hygiene, dental surgery, pharmacy and physician assistant programs earn certification as part of their academic training program, enabling them to better support the communities they will serve upon graduation.
Individuals interested in completing the training program can apply for funding support online.
The Benedum Foundation grant was awarded through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.
For more information, visit the Certified Tobacco Treatment Training Program (CTTTP) web page or contact M. Suann Gaydos.