Open AccessNicotine Replacement Therapy: Patterns Of Use After A Quit Attempt Among Methadone‐Maintained Smokers
Author(s) -
Stein Michael D.,
Anderson Bradley J.,
Niaura Raymond
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of general internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.746
H-Index - 180
eISSN - 1525-1497
pISSN - 0884-8734
DOI - 10.1111/j.1525-1497.2006.00504.x
Subject(s) - medicine , nicotine replacement therapy , abstinence , smoking cessation , methadone , nicotine , nicotine patch , odds ratio , physical therapy , anesthesia , psychiatry , alternative medicine , pathology , placebo
AIM: To determine the association between daily smoking and use of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), and to determine predictors of greater NRT use among methadone‐maintained smokers. INTERVENTION: Assignment to free nicotine patch (8 to 12 weeks) plus either (1) a baseline‐tailored brief motivational intervention, a quit date behavioral skills counseling session, and a relapse prevention follow‐up session (max), or (2) brief advice using NCI's 4 A's model (min). SETTING: Five methadone maintenance treatment centers. PARTICIPANTS: Of the 383 methadone‐maintained smokers enrolled, 309 (80.6%) set a specific quit date (received NRT) and were located for assessments. Participants were 51.8% male, 78.6% Caucasian, and smoked 26.6 (SD=12.2) cigarettes/day. OUTCOME: Use of NRT and smoking behaviors during the 180‐day follow‐up period assessed by the Timeline follow‐back method. FINDINGS: On the day following their quit day, 86.4% of participants used NRT. The percentage of participants using NRT was 52.3%, 27.1%, and 10.4% on day 30, day 60, and day 90, respectively. Participants used NRT on 44.1% of the days through the 90 days of the treatment protocol. The estimated odds of smoking abstinence was 7.1 ( P <.001) times higher on days when NRT was used than on days when NRT was not used, and cigarettes/day was also significantly lower on NRT days (14.93 vs 4.65; P <.001). CONCLUSION: Nicotine replacement therapy use was inconsistent following an initial quit attempt among methadone‐maintained smokers. On days when NRT was used, individuals were likely to smoke at reduced levels or not at all.