Interrelated effects of substance use diagnosis, race, and smoking severity on abstinence initiation in dually dependent male smokers: results of a retrospective chart review.

Purpose: : Study goals were 2-fold: 1) to examine differences in demographic and clinical characteristics of smokers who fell into 3 diagnostic groups: alcohol abuse/dependence only (ALC), cocaine abuse/dependence only (COC), and mixed alcohol and cocaine abuse/dependence (ALC + COC); and 2) to determine the degree to which diagnostic grouping predicted short-term abstinence from smoking.

Methods: : Retrospective chart reviews were conducted by using the treatment records of male veterans (N = 175) who participated in a voluntary smoking cessation program during their stay in residential substance dependence treatment.

Results: : The ALC group smoked more heavily, had higher levels of nicotine dependence, and reported more emotional problems than the other 2 groups.