Smoking can hamper treatment for alcohol abuse

Smoking may make it harder for alcoholics to give up their habit, a new study has found.
Smoking can inhibit the success of treatment for alcohol abuse, putting people who are addicted to both tobacco and alcohol in a double bind, researchers said.
According to the findings by the University at Buffalo Research Institute on Addictions (RIA), clients who smoke have shorter stays in alcohol treatment programmes than non-smokers and may have poorer treatment outcomes than non-smokers.
Kimberly Walitzer, deputy director and senior research scientist at RIA, led the study, which analysed more than 21,000 adult treatment seekers from 253 community outpatient substance abuse clinics across New York State.

"The data suggest that smoking is associated with difficulties in alcohol treatment," Walitzer said.
"Tobacco smokers had shorter treatment durations and were less likely to have achieved their alcohol-related goals at discharge relative to their nonsmoking counterparts.

"This should be a major concern for treatment providers, as the majority of people with alcohol disorders are, in fact, smokers," Walitzer said.
The study's results show that women who smoke have even more difficult circumstances and poorer alcohol treatment outcomes than men who smoke.
"Previous research indicates that if people can quit smoking when entering alcohol treatment, they may have better alcohol outcomes," Walitzer said.

"However, simultaneous cessation is a task that is very challenging to accomplish," Walitzer added.
The study appears in the journal Substance Use and Misuse.