Tobacco Use Among People Who Have Been in Prison: Relapse and Factors Associated with Trying to Quit

Abstract

Introduction Tobacco use is common among people who have been in prison. The relationship between social stressors, risky health behaviours, and smoking cessation has not been studied in people recently released from prison. Studying this relationship could yield information that guides strategic and cost-effective tobacco cessation interventions for an under-resourced population. Methods One hundred and forty-three smokers were interviewed 7 to 21 days after they had been released from USA prisons. Independent variables included employment status, housing security, relationship problems, educational achievement, risky drinking behaviour, recent drug use, history of drug dependence, and depression. The primary outcome was ‘trying to quit smoking.’ Data were analysed using Pearson chi-square tests and single and multivariable logistic regression models. Results Of those who had to quit smoking due to tobacco-free prison policies, 98% reported relapsing on tobacco after release. Trying to quit smoking was associated with the absence of risky drinking behaviour in the past 30 days (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 6.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.02–20.48). Conclusions The absence of risky drinking behaviour is associated with trying to quit smoking among people recently released from prison. Further research may determine whether interventions addressing risky alcohol use can reduce smoking relapse.

Impact of incarceration on cardiovascular disease risk factors: a systematic review and meta-regression on weight and BMI change

“…However, rules vary considerably by country and region, 69 as smoking bans were not reported in the French, 37 45 Italian 32 50 and English 38 47 prisons described in the included studies. Although smoking bans appeared to be beneficial in reducing the health impacts of tobacco use, such as in-prison mortality, 70 the impact that smoking bans have on long-term tobacco use is inconsistent in the current literature. One study 71 showed that a majority (76%) of men in prison continued to smoke 1 month after the implementation of a smoking ban.…”

Correlates of attempting to quit smoking among adults in Bangladesh

“…This study showed that non-smoker parents had higher chance of having nonsmoker offspring. However, the studies that examined the factors that are associated with quit attempt have been limited to specific populations such as young/adolescents ( Backinger, Fagan, Matthews, & Grana, 2003 ; Fagan et al, 2007 ), health center and/or continually-ill patients ( Bock, Becker, Partridge, & Niaura, 2007 ; Herlitz, Bengtson, Hjalmarson, & Karlson, 1995 ), specific ethnic background ( Kahende, Malarcher, Teplinskaya, & Asman, 2011 ; King, Polednak, Bendel, Vilsaint, & Nahata, 2004 ), homeless population ( Baggett, Lebrun-Harris, & Rigotti, 2013 ; Wrighting, Businelle, Kendzor, LeBlanc, & Reitzel, 2016 ), prisoners ( Frank et al, 2017 ; Makris, Gourgoulianis, & Hatzoglou, 2012 ). There are a few studies that identified the correlates of making quit attempt of smoking in general populations ( Abdullah et al, 2015 ; Ayo-Yusuf & Szymanski, 2010 ; Kaleta et al, 2012 ).…”

Staying Quit After Release (SQuARe) trial protocol: a randomised controlled trial of a multicomponent intervention to maintain smoking abstinence after release from smoke-free prisons in Victoria, Australia

“…The prevalence of any level of tobacco use in smoke-free prisons has been reported between 20% and 76%,4 however no study has reported this prevalence in an Australian prison. Research conducted in the USA has found that between 60%25 26 and 74%27 of former smokers released from smoke-free prisons relapse to smoking within 24 hours of release, and 97% relapse within 6 months of release 26. Similarly, in a recent Australian study, 72% of people released from smoke-free prisons relapsed to smoking on the day of release, and 94% relapsed within 2 months of release 28.…”