Cigarette smoking cessation services in outpatient substance abuse treatment programs in the United States.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence and determinants of cigarette smoking cessation treatment in U.S. outpatient substance abuse treatment (OSAT) units.


METHODS
Program directors and clinical supervisors from a national sample of 550 OSAT units in the United States were surveyed in 2004-2005. Supervisors reported the availability of cigarette smoking assessment, and individual or group counseling and pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation. This analysis examines whether institutional and resource factors influence the delivery of these services.


RESULTS
Of OSAT programs in the United States, 41% offer smoking cessation counseling or pharmacotherapy, 38% offer individual/group counseling, and 17% provide quit-smoking medication. In multivariate models, hospital affiliation, service breadth, the priority given to physical health, the availability of medication to treat addictive problems, assessment of cigarette smoking, and a greater perception of the proportion of patients who smoke were associated with the delivery of smoking cessation services. Program size and medical staffing also influenced the availability of quit-smoking medication.


CONCLUSIONS
Of U.S. OSAT programs, two in five offer behavioral treatment for smoking cessation, but fewer than one in five provide access to pharmacotherapy. Substance abuse treatment programs that are medically oriented, provide more comprehensive services, and recognize the burden of tobacco smoking among their patients are more likely to deliver evidence-based smoking cessation services.
Friedmann
Peter D
PD
Program to Integrate Psychosocial and Health Services, Research Service, Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Providence, RI, USA. pfriedmann@lifespan.org
Jiang
Lan
L
Richter
Kimber P
KP
D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014481:United States