Apollonio publishes new Cochrane Review

Do tobacco cessation interventions provided during substance abuse treatment help tobacco users to quit?

This question was recently addressed in a new systematic review, published on November 23 in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. This Cochrane Review was conceived and prepared by Dorie Apollonio, PhD, MPP, a faculty member in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy, and co-authored by Lisa Bero, PhD, a volunteer faculty member in the department.

Tobacco use is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide, and smoking rates are especially high among people who are dependent on alcohol or other drugs. People who are being treated for alcohol or other drug addictions have not usually been offered treatment to help them stop smoking at the same time due to concern that trying to stop smoking might make people in treatment less likely to recover from other addictions.

Journal citation: Apollonio D, Philipps R, Bero L, “Interventions for tobacco use cessation in people in treatment for or recovery from substance use disorders,” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2016, Issue 11, Nov. 23, 2016, doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010274.pub2

This systematic review combined data from 34 published studies of tobacco cessation interventions for patients in treatment for other addictions. It found that these interventions increased the likelihood that people would quit smoking, and did not make people more likely to return to using alcohol or other drugs.

Overall, the results suggest that tobacco cessation interventions should be incorporated into clinical practice for people in treatment for or recovery from alcohol and other drug dependence.

What is a systematic review?

A systematic review collects and critically analyzes multiple research studies or papers and evaluates the quality of data and evidence presented. In health care, systematic reviews seek to answer key questions about the relative effectiveness and safety of medical interventions by selecting, combining, and critically evaluating the research in published medical literature.