Quitting smoking boosts addiction recovery

    The main point: A National Institutes of Health (NIH) study found that adults who smoke cigarettes and are addicted to alcohol or other drugs are more likely to achieve sustained remission of their addiction symptoms if they also quit smoking.

    The findings: A reported change from “current” to “former” use of cigarettes was associated with 42% greater odds of the individual being in recovery from their non-tobacco substance use disorder (SUD).

    Why it’s important: The results show the benefit of pairing smoking cessation with addiction recovery efforts.

    • But: More research is needed on the best ways to support smoking cessation among people in SUD treatment or recovery.