Beneficial effects of treatment of nicotine dependence during an inpatient substance abuse treatment program
A. M. Joseph, K. L. Nichol, M. L. Willenbring, J. E. Korn and L. S. Lysaght
Department of Medicine, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minn 55417.
The Minneapolis Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center began an
intervention for tobacco use in its inpatient substance dependency
treatment program on June 19, 1988, including an institutional smoke-free
policy and a smoking cessation program. Sequential substance-dependent
patients admitted before institution of the policy (n = 455) were compared
with patients admitted after institution of the policy (n = 457). Patients
completed self-administered questionnaires regarding smoking practices and
attitudes. Seventy-six percent of patients were current cigarette smokers.
Fifty-eight percent of patients after institution of the policy described
themselves as "not smoking regularly," compared with 19% of patients
admitted before the institution of the policy. Similar proportions of
patients admitted before and after the institution of the policy believed
that quitting smoking would threaten recovery. Forty-one percent of
patients hospitalized after institution of the policy abstained from
smoking for more than 1 week during their hospital stay. Rates of early
termination of treatment did not change. We conclude that concurrent
intervention for nicotine addiction during inpatient treatment of substance
dependence is associated with a temporary reduction in smoking and
increased motivation to quit smoking.
