Smoking among female arrestees: prevalence of daily smoking and smoking cessation efforts

Prior research on smoking in the criminal justice system has focused on men. This study examines smoking behavior among female arrestees in New York City (NYC). The sample includes 836 women interviewed as part of the Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) Program. Questionnaire items analyzed here include the use of licit and illicit substances, current pregnancy, childbearing history, demographics, age at smoking initiation, daily smoking, dependency on tobacco, and quit attempts. Bivariate techniques and logistic regression analyses were used. Fully 71% of all women and 64% of pregnant women were daily smokers. Recent cocaine or heroin users were the most likely to be daily smokers (84% and 92%). Among daily smokers, nearly a third had ever tried to cut down or quit. In the regressions, Latinas were more likely to have tried to quit; recent heroin users and women who had ever felt dependent on tobacco were the least likely to have tried. The authors strongly recommend that female inmates are prime candidates for smoking cessation counseling.