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