Smoking Rates Drop in Adults with Substance Use Disorder, Major Depression

A new study found significant reductions in cigarette use among U.S. adults with substance use disorder, major depression or both from 2006 to 2019, The Hill reports.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health found smoking rates among all adults declined between 2006 and 2019, but the rate of decline was sharper among those with substance use disorder (10.9%) and those with a major depression (13.1%) relative to those without a substance use disorder (7.8%) or those without major depression (8.2%). The decline occurred across all age, race, sex and ethnic groups except for non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native adults.

“This study shows us that, at a population-level, reductions in tobacco use are achievable for people with psychiatric conditions, and smoking cessation should be prioritized along with treatments for substance use, depression, and other mental health disorders for people who experience them,” Nora Volkow, M.D., director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and co-author of the study, said in a news release. “Therapies to help people stop smoking are safe, effective, and may even enhance the long-term success of concurrent treatments for more severe mental health symptoms in individuals with psychiatric disorders by lowering stress, anxiety, depression, and by improving overall mood and quality of life.”