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EMDR, the FDA and the VA Tackle Smoking
Chapters:
00:00 Why Veterans Smoke
00:35 VA Quit Message
01:16 What VA Gets Right
02:00 The Timing Gap
03:30 Who the Gap Hurts
04:27 Three Risk Truths
05:42 Beyond Products
06:22 EMDR Protocol Options
07:49 Evidence and Limits
08:30 Two Halves Solution
09:26 Closing Appeal
10:11 Sources and Share
Tim Vermilion argues on the EMDR News Podcast that veterans’ smoking is often tied to trauma-related feelings like calm after chaos, control, and connection, not merely willpower. He says the VA does many things right—encouraging quitting and providing counseling, Quit VET/Smoke-Free VET, medications, and nicotine pouch fact sheets—but its 2026 tobacco guideline’s evidence review closed in December 2024, one month before the FDA authorized the first nicotine pouches (Jan 16, 2025) and updated public “continuum of risk” messaging that non-combusted products generally carry lower risk for adults who switch completely. The gap most affects veterans who repeatedly quit and relapse. He stresses: benefits require fully switching off cigarettes and this applies only to adult smokers. He recommends pairing current risk information with trauma-informed EMDR addiction protocols (Popky’s Detour, Hayes’ Cravex, Miller’s Feeling State Addiction) that target triggers, craving memory, and positive feeling states linked to smoking.
Related article and sources:
https://emdrnews.com/2026/06/27/va-veterans-smoking-nicotine-risk-emdr/
EMDRNews is a source-led podcast for EMDR-informed clinicians and professionals. Episodes are for education and commentary only, not clinical advice, supervision, consultation, or a substitute for formal EMDR training. Please do not send client details or protected health information.
Read more: https://emdrnews.com
Get the EMDRNews Brief: https://emdrnews.com/brief/
View all episodes
By Tim Vermillion Chapters:
00:00 Why Veterans Smoke
00:35 VA Quit Message
01:16 What VA Gets Right
02:00 The Timing Gap
03:30 Who the Gap Hurts
04:27 Three Risk Truths
05:42 Beyond Products
06:22 EMDR Protocol Options
07:49 Evidence and Limits
08:30 Two Halves Solution
09:26 Closing Appeal
10:11 Sources and Share
Tim Vermilion argues on the EMDR News Podcast that veterans’ smoking is often tied to trauma-related feelings like calm after chaos, control, and connection, not merely willpower. He says the VA does many things right—encouraging quitting and providing counseling, Quit VET/Smoke-Free VET, medications, and nicotine pouch fact sheets—but its 2026 tobacco guideline’s evidence review closed in December 2024, one month before the FDA authorized the first nicotine pouches (Jan 16, 2025) and updated public “continuum of risk” messaging that non-combusted products generally carry lower risk for adults who switch completely. The gap most affects veterans who repeatedly quit and relapse. He stresses: benefits require fully switching off cigarettes and this applies only to adult smokers. He recommends pairing current risk information with trauma-informed EMDR addiction protocols (Popky’s Detour, Hayes’ Cravex, Miller’s Feeling State Addiction) that target triggers, craving memory, and positive feeling states linked to smoking.
Related article and sources:
https://emdrnews.com/2026/06/27/va-veterans-smoking-nicotine-risk-emdr/
EMDRNews is a source-led podcast for EMDR-informed clinicians and professionals. Episodes are for education and commentary only, not clinical advice, supervision, consultation, or a substitute for formal EMDR training. Please do not send client details or protected health information.
Read more: https://emdrnews.com
Get the EMDRNews Brief: https://emdrnews.com/brief/