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Quitting Smoking Tied to Recovery From Substance Use Disorder

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Aug 20, 2025.

via HealthDay

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20, 2025 -- Quitting smoking is associated with recovery from substance use disorder (SUD), according to a study published online Aug. 13 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Michael J. Parks, Ph.D., from the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and colleagues conducted a longitudinal survey cohort study to assess whether changes in cigarette smoking predict SUD recovery over time. The analysis included 2,652 adults with a history of SUD participating in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study (2013 to 2014 with follow-up through 2016 to 2018).

The researchers found that within-person change from current to former smoking was positively associated with SUD recovery, with year-to-year change to former cigarette use associated with a 30 percent increase in odds of recovery when accounting for time-varying covariates and between-person differences. After lagging the predictor by one year, this association remained significant (odds ratio, 1.43; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.00 to 2.05). Similar results were seen in a second cohort assessed from 2016-2018 to 2022-2023 (odds ratio, 1.37; 95 percent CI, 1.13 to 1.66).

"Although the health benefits of quitting smoking are well-known, smoking cessation has not been seen as a high priority in drug addiction treatment programs," senior author, Wilson Compton, M.D., also from the National Institutes of Health, said in a statement. "This finding bolsters support for including smoking cessation as part of addiction treatment."

One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

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