Quitting smoking increased the odds of recovery from other substance use disorders (SUDs) by 30%, according to a study published this week in JAMA Psychiatry.
“Although the health benefits of quitting smoking are well-known, smoking cessation has not been seen as a high priority in drug addiction treatment programs,” senior author Wilson Compton, M.D., of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), said in a news release. “This finding bolsters support for including smoking cessation as part of addiction treatment.”
Compton, Michael Parks, Ph.D., and colleagues from NIDA used data from 2,652 adults with a history of SUDs who were enrolled in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, a nationally representative, longitudinal cohort study of adults in the United States. Participants were assessed annually over four years. During each assessment, participants reported on their smoking status (if they were current or former smokers) as well as their SUD symptoms and use in the past year.
Participants whose smoking status changed from current to former between assessments were 42% more likely to be in recovery from an SUD, meaning they had zero substance use or SUD symptoms in the past year. After adjusting for potential confounders, such as changes in mental health, the odds of SUD recovery after smoking cessation remained significantly higher, at 30%.
“We now have strong evidence from a national sample that quitting cigarette smoking predicts improved recovery from other substance use disorders,” NIDA Director Nora Volkow, M.D., said in the release. “It underscores the importance of addressing different addictions together, rather than in isolation.”
For related information, see the Psychiatric News article “Surgeon General Report Calls for Action on Smoking Inequities.”
(Image: Getty Images/iStock/nensuria)
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