| New York could become the first state requiring all | | | | recovery success rates. We need to focus on the |
| outpatient addiction treatment programs to help their | | | | overall wellness of our patients and not ignore this |
| clients quit smoking under proposed legislation. The law | | | | deadly addiction." |
| would only encourage alcoholics and drug addicts to | | | | However, the higher recovery success rates |
| quit smoking, not require it. Those who agree to quit | | | | Carpenter-Palumbo refers to are disputed in the |
| smoking would be provided with treatment including | | | | scientific community. One recent study from the |
| drugs to relieve cravings, while patients who refuse to | | | | University of Minnesota found that recovery rates are |
| quit could still be treated for other addictions as long as | | | | actually lower if patients are weaned off cigarettes |
| they don't smoke in the treatment facilities. The ban | | | | while they are trying to break free of alcohol or drugs. |
| would also apply to treatment center workers. | | | | And according to Dr. Richard Hurt, the director of the |
| Whether this will increase the success rates of alcohol | | | | Nicotine Dependence Center at the Mayo Clinic, most |
| and drug rehab is in dispute. | | | | studies have shown that treating nicotine addiction |
| New Jersey has required residential addiction | | | | along with alcohol and drug addiction has no effect on |
| programs to treat nicotine addiction and be | | | | treatment effectiveness. |
| smoke-free since 2001, but officials in New York say it | | | | According to the U.S. National Institute against Alcohol |
| would be the first state to require smoking cessation | | | | Abuse (NIAAA), between 80 and 95 per cent of |
| efforts in outpatient programs, which account for | | | | alcoholics smoke cigarettes - three times higher than |
| two-thirds of the 1,100 treatment alcohol and drug | | | | among the general population. And a recent Research |
| rehab programs in the state. Programs inNew York | | | | Society on Alcoholism study using advanced magnetic |
| that fail to comply with the smoking regulations could | | | | resonance imaging on human brains found that |
| lose state certification and would have to stop treating | | | | cigarette smoking not only worsens alcohol-induced |
| clients. | | | | brain damage (which was already known) it also |
| It has generally been thought that asking patients to | | | | causes brain damage by itself. And there are strong |
| quit smoking while fighting addictions to alcohol or drugs | | | | links between some forms of cancer and the |
| like heroin or cocaine is asking too much. But state | | | | combination of drinking and smoking. |
| officials say a deeper understanding about addiction | | | | So it seems uncertain at this point if quitting smoking |
| "triggers" and the dangers of tobacco itself have | | | | will help alcohol and drug abusers recover from their |
| changed the consensus. Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo, | | | | addictions and stay clean after completing alcohol or |
| the commissioner of the substance abuse agency that | | | | drug rehab. But even if only for the improvements in |
| oversees all state-sanctioned alcohol and drug rehab | | | | long-term mental and physical health, it seems to be a |
| facilities, said in a written statement, "We now know | | | | good idea to try quitting smoking while recovering from |
| that's not true. Including tobacco dependence while | | | | addiction at an alcohol or drug rehab center. |
| treating other addictions actually leads to higher | | | | |