Recovering staff and smoking in chemical dependency programs in rural Nebraska

The problem of cigarette smoking among those who are recovering from alcohol dependence is becoming more apparent as chemical dependency units (CDUs) are beginning to restrict smoking for clients and staff and more actively encourage nicotine abstinence. To date, little is known about effective smoking cessation techniques for people with a history of alcohol problems. To obtain new data, a survey of personal experiences with smoking cessation and professional recommendations about nicotine dependence was administered to 124 recovering treatment professionals in CDUs in rural Nebraska. Among the 99 staff with a history of smoking, 81 (80%) had tried to quit smoking and 38 were former smokers at the time of the survey. Quitting "cold turkey" was the most popular smoking cessation method. Reliance on AA principles was second. The results suggest that recovering staff can successfully quit smoking by applying their professional practice guidelines for alcohol treatment to their personal problems with tobacco.