Tobacco and nicotine cessation in military service members and veterans: implications for area health education centers.

Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) have played a longstanding role in strengthening the United States (U.S.) health care workforce through education and training and expanding access to care services in rural and underserved communities. As tobacco and nicotine use emerged as a major preventable cause of morbidity and mortality decades ago, AHECs played a key role in the integration of evidence-based cessation education into health professions training and community-based programming. Tobacco and nicotine use remains disproportionately high among U.S. military service members and veterans, many of whom receive care in community settings served by AHECs. This article highlights AHECs’ unique position to address tobacco-related disparities in military service members and veterans through workforce education and training, tailored cessation services, and community partnerships. It emphasizes the importance of “Ask the Question” initiatives to identify military service history as a relevant social determinant of health to foster increased discussion and tailoring of tobacco treatment. Recommendations include education and implementation of routine military service screening, military cultural competence training, strengthened community-based referral networks, and military- and veteran-focused cessation curricula to improve identification, engagement, and outcomes for this high-risk population.