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Tobacco Cessation & Substance Abuse

Many cigarette smokers also have substance abuse problems, and individuals who abuse drugs or alcohol are less successful in quitting smoking than non-users. Tobacco cessation is a particularly challenging task for recovering substance abusers, although people who quit smoking while in treatment for substance abuse are more successful in staying smoke-free after treatment compared to those who don't.

  1. Correlation

    • An Australian study published in the journal, "Nicotine and Tobacco Research" in 2001 concluded a strong association between current tobacco use and abuse/dependence of alcohol and illicit drugs. Additionally, the study found that untreated substance abuse problems impede attempts to quit smoking.

    Smoking Cessation Rates for Substance Abusers

    • Data from a 2010 report by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health indicate that smokers who abuse drugs are less likely to quit smoking than non-users. According to the report, rates of past-year smoking cessation were higher among persons who had not used an illicit drug in the past year than among those who had used an illicit drug (4.8 vs. 2.5 percent).

    Tobacco Cessation During Recovery

    • Several studies, including a 1994 Mayo Clinic study and a 1991 study by Palo Alto Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, have examined the impact of smoking cessation programs on substance abuse inpatients and concluded that smokers who quit during rehabilitation are less likely to smoke post-treatment than those who do not. The Mayo Clinic study, which followed 101 smokers and substance abuse inpatients, found that 11.8 percent of subjects who participated in a smoking cessation program during treatment remained tobacco-free one year later, compared to 0.0 percent in the control group.

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