Pattern of Tobacco Smoking in Substance Use Disorder Male Patients

Abstract

The tobacco smoking is one of the leading causes of deaths on the world and moreover it’s more prevalent in SUD patient and it may be one of the causes of mortality more than the substance itself. The pattern of smoking differs in the different stages of SUD treatment it was shown that in early abstinent period patient become more dependent on tobacco to alleviate their anxiety and decrease withdrawal symptoms. With longer duration of abstinent and psych education the pattern of smoking changes and motivation to quit increase and it was found that they are more likely to seek help to quit smoking. It was found also that the smoking cessation programs aren't involved in our SUD facilities and the problems of tobacco smoking is generally overlooked in Egypt. One of the barriers of addressing smoking cessation in our facilities is lacking of educated staff and being themselves smokers and the fault idea that smoking cessation will threaten the outcome of the main substance treatment,so more education for the staff themselves needed. Finally sociodemographic differences, longer hospital admission and more psych education to the subjects seeking SUD treatment is one of the most important factors improves their motivation to quit smoking and seeking help as well as maintaining abstinence of their main substance.