Smoking Status and Substance Use Treatment Outcomes Among Spanish Speakers Enrolled in Substance Abuse Treatment.

Abstract

Smoking is highly prevalent among individuals with drug and alcohol disorders. Concurrent tobacco dependence treatment during substance use disorder (SUD) treatment is supported, yet the association between SUD treatment outcomes and smoking status has been understudied in minorities, including Latinos. Participants were 322 Spanish-speaking Latinos enrolled in a SUD treatment study in 5 U.S. cities. Logistic regression examined associations between baseline smoking status and treatment outcomes for nontobacco substance use at follow-up. Covariates included age, gender, level of education, marital status, treatment group, and mandated treatment status. Results indicated smokers had a reduced likelihood of abstinence for all nontobacco substances (p = .001) and their primary drug of use (p = .007). Findings contribute to the growing literature indicating a possible beneficial effect of smoking cessation services on SUD treatment, specifically among Latinos. Further research is needed to identify ideal smoking cessation treatments for Latinos.