Tobacco Addiction and Smoking Status in Heroin Addicts under Methadone vs. Buprenorphine Therapy

Benedetta Pajusco, Cristiano Chiamulera, Gianluca Quaglio, Luca Moro, Rebecca Casari, Gabriella Amen, Marco Faccini and Fabio Lugoboni
Additional contact information
Benedetta Pajusco: Department of Internal Medicine, Addiction Unit, Verona University Hospital, 37134 Verona, Italy
Cristiano Chiamulera: Neuropsychopharmacology Laboratory, Section of Pharmacology, Department of Public Health & Community Medicine, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
Gianluca Quaglio: Department of Internal Medicine, Addiction Unit, Verona University Hospital, 37134 Verona, Italy
Luca Moro: Department of Internal Medicine, Addiction Unit, Verona University Hospital, 37134 Verona, Italy
Rebecca Casari: Department of Internal Medicine, Addiction Unit, Verona University Hospital, 37134 Verona, Italy
Gabriella Amen: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Verona, Policlinico G.B. Rossi, 37134 Verona, Italy
Marco Faccini: Scientific Intercentres Collaborative Drug Users Group, GICS, 37134 Verona, Italy
Fabio Lugoboni: Department of Internal Medicine, Addiction Unit, Verona University Hospital, 37134 Verona, Italy

IJERPH, 2012, vol. 9, issue 3, 1-11

Abstract: Aims of the present investigation were: (i) to assess the prevalence of current smokers and relative smoking status among a large number of heroin addicts attending opioid-substitution therapy prevalence; (ii) to evaluate the relationship between the type (methadone, buprenorphine) and dosage of opioid substitution therapy and nicotine dependence. Three hundred and five (305) heroin addicts under opioid-substitution therapy were recruited at five Addiction Units. All participants completed a questionnaire assessing sociodemographic information, type and dose of opioid-substitution therapy, smoking history and status, Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), and the Zung Self-Rating Depression scale (SDS). 298 subjects, out of 305 (97.2%) were smokers, with an average of 20.5 cigarette/day and a median FTND of 6. Our data confirmed the high prevalence of smokers among heroin addicts, the highest described in the literature to date among heroin addicts under substitution therapies, without any significant difference between methadone vs. buprenorphine therapy groups. There was no correlation between dose of methadone or buprenorphine and average number of cigarettes/day. Patients in substance abuse treatment very frequently smoke cigarettes and often die of tobacco-related diseases. Substance abuse treatment programs too often ignore tobacco use. We hope that these findings will help to incorporate smoking cessation in substance abuse treatments.

Keywords: tobacco smoking; methadone; buprenorphine; heroin; opioid substitution therapy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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