Ms Camilla Cookson, Dr Elena Ratschen and Professor Ann McNeill
Presenter(s)
Camilla Cookson Research Worker, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London
Abstract
With smoking as the leading cause of preventable death and disease, this paper is concerned with smoking among substance misusers. It aims to establish whether current nicotine dependence treatment provision and staffs’ perception of its importance is at odds with the motivation and attitudes of clients in addiction services. An audit used short questionnaires to address smoking behavior, motivation to quit and attitudes towards nicotine dependence treatment among staff and clients. A good capture of substance misuse settings (with 97% (n= 135) and 84% (n=142) response rates of staff and clients present on visiting days) revealed a high smoking prevalence in clients (88%) and staff (47%). Despite 78% of clients who smoked expressing a desire to quit and 43% interested in advice, only 9% had been offered support during their current treatment episode.
Staff rated smoking treatment as less important than other named substances and 58% felt it should be postponed until late in, or after, clients’ primary addiction treatment. A large unmet clinical need is evident and the commonly held belief that substance misusers do not want to quit smoking is unfounded. Staffs’ own attitudes and smoking behavior could be impacting the smoking treatment culture in addiction services.
Source of funding: BRC DAAIM Flexibility Fund, Institute of Psychiatry
