The prevalence of smoking is high in people with a disorder linked to the use of substances, but the programs for taking charge of addictions do not always integrate smoking cessation. A study by American Health Institutes (NIH), however, highlights the interest in associating smoking cessation with the management of other addictions, such as alcoholism or drug addiction.
“We now have solid evidence, from a national sample, that smoking stop predicts better healing of other disorders related to drug addiction”explains Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) of NIH, stressing “The importance of treating the different addictions together, rather than isolated. »»
A possible causal link still to demonstrate
Published in the Jama Pychiatrythis cohort study, called Path (for Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health), looked at the data of 2,652 adults with history of disorders related to the consumption of substances. Recruited in 2013 and 2014, these people were evaluated annually for four years. A second cohort (from 2016-2018 to 2023) was also evaluated by sensitivity analyzes.
Data analysis shows that a change in smoking status was associated with an increase of 42 % of the opportunities to recover from a disorder linked to the use of tobacco -related substances. After adjustment, the association remains strong with an increase of 30 % of the chances of withdrawal of other addictions than tobacco.
The analysis does not make it possible to establish a causal link between smoking cessation and the cessation of other consumptions. But she “Strengthen the idea of including smoking cessation in the treatment of drug addiction”estimates Dr. Wilson Compton, deputy director of the NIDA and the main author of the study.