Objective
Little is known about the relationship between cigarette smoking and long-term substance use disorder (SUD) outcomes. The current study examined the association between smoking and SUD relapse among adults with remitted SUDs.
Method
Analyses were conducted on respondents who completed Waves 1 and 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions and met DSM-IV criteria for substance abuse and/or prior to but not during the year before the Wave 1 interview (n=5,515). Relationships between smoking status (Wave 2 smoking versus non-smoking among Wave 1 smokers; Wave 2 smoking versus non-smoking among Wave 1 non-smokers) and Wave 2 substance use and SUD relapse were examined using logistic regression analyses. Analyses were adjusted for demographics; psychiatric and alcohol use disorders; nicotine dependence; and SUD severity.
Results
In the fully adjusted models, among Wave 1 smokers, continued smoking at Wave 2 was associated with significantly greater odds of substance use (OR=1.56, 95% CI=1.10-2.20) and SUD relapse (OR=2.02, 95% CI=1.65-2.47) compared to Wave 2 non-smoking. In the fully adjusted model, among Wave 1 non-smokers, smoking at Wave 2 was associated with significantly greater odds of SUD relapse compared to Wave 2 non-smoking (OR=4.86, 95% CI=3.11-7.58).
Conclusion
Continued smoking for smokers and smoking initiation for non-smokers was associated with greater odds of SUD relapse. More research is needed to examine the timing of SUD relapse in relation to smoking behaviors. Incorporating smoking cessation and prevention efforts into substance abuse treatment may improve long-term substance use outcomes for adult smokers with SUDs.