From the Editor- January / February 2012

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From the Editor - From the Editor

Written by Ann Gossy, Editor

Thursday, 26 January 2012 16:10

Dear Readers,

As if we need any more reasons to stay away from cigarettes: A recent National Institutes of Health (NIH) study conducted by researchers at Columbia University suggests that using tobacco may lead to later drug use. The so-called gateway drug model has been tossed around for some time, but this study is the first of its kind to demonstrate the biological mechanism that explains the connection between smoking and subsequent drug use.

In the study, nicotine-exposed mice showed an increased vulnerability to the effects of cocaine, which led the researchers to look for similar results in humans. Their epidemiological findings showed that people who smoked cigarettes prior to cocaine use had a greater dependence on cocaine than those who didn’t. The study points to nicotine’s previously unrecognized effect on genes that play a role in addiction. Nicotine was shown to change the structure of the DNA molecule and reprogram a gene specifically related to addiction.

In his Creativity Matters column this month, Thomas Greaney, MEd, LADC, CCDP, shares his life experience working with addicts and his suggestions for helping them to quit smoking, while further demonstrating the powerful (read: negative) role cigarettes can play in the life of people with substance abuse disorders.

Beyond looking at smoking as a gateway to subsequent drug abuse, it is important for healthcare providers to emphasize the value of a healthy lifestyle that includes quitting smoking. Statistics bear out the unfortunate truth that smoking rates are two to three times higher among addicts than the general population. The Smoking Cessation Leadership Center at the University of San Francisco cites that 80 to 90 percent of clients in treatment smoke cigarettes, and more alcoholics die of tobacco-related illnesses than alcohol-related problems. The center urges the mental health and substance abuse fields to embrace smoking cessation and offer cessation services to both patients and counselors. According to the center, counseling support can help people quit smoking—with the empowering message: You can do it. In addition, a simple referral to a state’s quitline can more than triple the success in quitting.

A study from the University of Missouri suggests that people who quit smoking not only gain physical health benefits but also show improvements in their overall personality. The researchers found that young adults who smoked demonstrated higher levels of impulsivity and neuroticism, but those who quit smoking experienced significant declines in the same negative personality traits.

By implementing smoking cessation programs and maintaining tobacco-free policies at their facilities, some treatment providers are taking action. This issue’s Letter to the Editor describes one treatment center’s smoke-free success story, and the lead article “Smoking Cessation Services in Addiction Treatment” discusses the current context of stop-smoking programs.

Sincerely,

Ann Gossy, Editor Counselor,

The Magazine for Addiction Professionals A Health Communications, Inc. Publication

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