Improved Outcomes in Tobacco-free Programs

Rationale

	Understanding Tobacco as a Drug of Dependence
	Toll of Tobacco on People in Treatment and Recovery
	Understanding Tobacco's Relationship to Other Drugs
	Safety of Integrated Tobacco Dependence Treatment
	Improved Outcomes in Tobacco-free Programs

Rationale » Improved Outcomes in Tobacco-free Programs

Improved Outcomes in Tobacco-free Programs

Research also suggests that integrating tobacco dependence interventions into chemical dependency programs and promoting recovery from tobacco dependence improves treatment outcomes:

Cigarette smokers relapsed to their primary drugs of choice more frequently and sooner than did nonsmokers (Sees & Clark, 1993).
Non-tobacco users maintain longer periods of sobriety after inpatient treatment for alcohol/drug dependence than tobacco users (Stuyt, 1997; 12- month recovery rates compared after substance abuse inpatient treatment).
Smoking status (nonsmoker, chipper, heavy smoker) proved a more powerful predictor of cocaine and opiate use than daily methadone dose. Findings lend support to existing evidence suggesting associations between tobacco and opiate and cocaine use and strongly suggest that smoking cessation should be offered to all methadone-maintained clients (Frosch et al., 2000).
Smoking cessation is indicated for substance dependent persons already in recovery and may protect against relapse to the illicit drug of choice (Sullivan & Covey, 2002).
Controlling for multiple factors, smoking cessation was associated with greater abstinence from drug use after completion of drug abuse treatment. Despite drug abuse programs’ hesitance to encourage smokers to quit, smoking cessation does not negatively impact drug use outcomes (Lemon et al., 2003).

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