Associations of tobacco cigarette use and dependence with substance use disorder treatment completion by sex/gender and race/ethnicity

Introduction

Individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) are approximately five times more likely to smoke cigarettes than the general population. Individuals who smoke cigarettes have greater odds of SUD relapse compared to individuals who do not smoke cigarettes, but we know little about how cigarette use is related to SUD treatment completion overall by sex/gender or race/ethnicity.

Methods

This study examined 2855 adults (71.98 % male; >70 % racial/ethnic minority) in outpatient and residential SUD treatment at a New York–based treatment agency over a six-month period in 2018.

Results

Overall, approximately three-fourths of SUD treatment-seeking participants smoked cigarettes, with high rates across sex/gender and racial/ethnic groups. Nicotine dependence did not differ by sex/gender, and White Non-Hispanic adults had the highest levels of nicotine dependence across racial/ethnic groups. Those who smoked cigarettes were significantly less likely to complete treatment compared to those who did not smoke cigarettes (OR = 0.69; 95 % CI: 0.58, 0.82). The study found no overall differences in SUD treatment completion and length of stay by sex/gender or race/ethnicity.

Conclusions

Given the high prevalence of cigarette smoking and lower odds of completing SUD treatment, the current system of care for SUD treatment may be enhanced by addressing cigarette smoking from onset of treatment.