Tobacco cessation services in addiction treatment: What do clients say?

Specialty addiction programs treat people who are addicted to alcohol, opioids, stimulants, and other drugs. This study identified the proportion of addiction program clients who received tobacco-related services and factors associated with receipt of such services.

In 2015 and 2016, clients (N=2119) in 24 programs affiliated with the NIDA Clinical Trials Network were surveyed for receipt of services aligning with three of the five As of tobacco cessation: ask, advise, assist. Multi-variate analyses examined factors associated with receipt of each service.

Most clients (76%) were asked about smoking. Among smokers (N=1630), 53% were advised to quit, 41% received counseling, 26% received cessation medication, and 17% received counseling and medication. Clients were more likely to receive tobacco-related services if they wanted help quitting smoking or were enrolled in programs with tobacco-free grounds.

Conclusions: These correlational findings suggest that increasing client motivation to quit and implementing tobacco-free policies on the grounds of treatment centers may increase tobacco-related services in addiction treatment.