| New York could become the first state requiring all | | | | substance abuse agency that oversees all |
| outpatient addiction treatment programs to help their | | | | state-sanctioned alcohol and drug rehab facilities, said |
| clients quit smoking under proposed legislation. The | | | | in a written statement, "We now know that's not |
| law would only encourage alcoholics and drug addicts | | | | true. Including tobacco dependence while treating |
| to quit smoking, not require it. Those who agree to | | | | other addictions actually leads to higher recovery |
| quit smoking would be provided with treatment | | | | success rates. We need to focus on the overall |
| including drugs to relieve cravings, while patients who | | | | wellness of our patients and not ignore this deadly |
| refuse to quit could still be treated for other | | | | addiction." |
| addictions as long as they don't smoke in the | | | | However, the higher recovery success rates |
| treatment facilities. The ban would also apply to | | | | Carpenter-Palumbo refers to are disputed in the |
| treatment center workers. Whether this will increase | | | | scientific community. One recent study from the |
| the success rates of alcohol and drug rehab is in | | | | University of Minnesota found that recovery rates |
| dispute. | | | | are actually lower if patients are weaned off |
| New Jersey has required residential addiction | | | | cigarettes while they are trying to break free of |
| programs to treat nicotine addiction and be | | | | alcohol or drugs. And according to Dr. Richard Hurt, |
| smoke-free since 2001, but officials in New York say | | | | the director of the Nicotine Dependence Center at |
| it would be the first state to require smoking | | | | the Mayo Clinic, most studies have shown that |
| cessation efforts in outpatient programs, which | | | | treating nicotine addiction along with alcohol and drug |
| account for two-thirds of the 1,100 treatment alcohol | | | | addiction has no effect on treatment effectiveness. |
| and drug rehab programs in the state. Programs in | | | | According to the U.S. National Institute against Alcohol |
| New York that fail to comply with the smoking | | | | Abuse (NIAAA), between 80 and 95 per cent of |
| regulations could lose state certification and would | | | | alcoholics smoke cigarettes - three times higher than |
| have to stop treating clients. | | | | among the general population. And a recent Research |
| It has generally been thought that asking patients to | | | | Society on Alcoholism study using advanced magnetic |
| quit smoking while fighting addictions to alcohol or | | | | resonance imaging on human brains found that |
| drugs like heroin or cocaine is asking too much. But | | | | cigarette smoking not only worsens alcohol-induced |
| state officials say a deeper understanding about | | | | brain damage (which was already known) it also |
| addiction "triggers" and the dangers of tobacco itself | | | | causes brain damage by itself. And there are strong |
| have changed the consensus. Karen M. | | | | links between some forms of cancer and the |
| Carpenter-Palumbo, the commissioner of the | | | | combination of drinking and smoking. |