In Case You Haven't Heard…

Abstract

Significant reductions in cigarette use were found among U.S. adults with major depression, substance use disorder or both from 2006 to 2019, according to a new analysis of nationally representative survey data published April 26 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study was conducted by researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. These findings suggest that groups at higher risk of cigarette smoking can be reached by, and may have benefited from, tobacco use prevention and cessation efforts that have led to significant declines in tobacco use in the general population. At the same time, the findings highlight remaining disparities, documenting higher smoking rates in people with psychiatric disorders than in those without. In future work, the researchers note the need to include data on certain populations at high risk of psychiatric disorders and cigarette smoking, such as institutionalized individuals or those experiencing homelessness without living in a shelter.