Even people who see themselves as smokers can be preventative cigarettes, according to standard diagnostic criteria. Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine and Duke University found that many light smokers – those who smoke one to four cigarettes a day or less – meet the criteria for nicotine addiction and therefore they should be considered for treatment.
In the past, some thought that only patients who smoke around 10 cigarettes a day or more get a hold of it, and I still hear that sometimes. But this study shows that many lighter smokers, even those who don’t smoke every day, can be addicted to cigarettes. He also suggests that we need to be more specific when asking about the frequency of cigarette smoking. “
Jonathan Foulds, Professor of Public Health Sciences and Psychology and Behavioral Health, Penn State
According to Jason Oliver, assistant professor of psychology and behavioral sciences, Duke University, when assessing nicotine addiction – clinically referred to as a ‘tobacco use disorder’ – full-time clinicians are encouraged evaluate the 11 criteria listed in the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5). In short, he said, clinicians usually ask smokers how many cigarettes they smoke each day.
“Smoking is rightly considered to be less harmful than less harmful than heavy smoking, but there are still significant health risks,” Oliver said. “Medical providers sometimes see lighter smokers as not being an addict and, therefore, not in need of treatment, but this study suggests that many of them may have a major problem. stop helpless. “
The researchers examined an existing dataset from the National Institutes of Health, including more than 6,700 smokers who were assessed in total to see if they met DSM-5 criteria for tobacco use disorder. They found that 85% of daily cigarette smokers were moderately addicted – either mild, moderate or severe addiction.
“Surprisingly, nearly two-thirds of those who smoked just one to four cigarettes a day were arrested, and about a quarter of those who smoked were less than a weekly addict,” said Foulds.
The researchers found that the severity of cigarettes, as indicated by the number of criteria met, increased with the frequency of smoking, with 35% of those smoking one- to-four cigarettes per day and 74% of those who smoked 21 or more cigarettes per day may be predominantly or substantially addicted.
The results appeared December 22nd in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
“This was the first time that the depth of cigarette addiction was defined across the full range of cigarette use frequencies,” said Foulds, a researcher at the Penn State Cancer Institute.
Oliver said the study highlights the prevalence of tobacco use disorder even among those perceived as light smokers and provides a basis from which treatment can begin to focus on the smoker. this population.
“Previous research has found that non-daily smokers are more likely to attempt daily smoking,” says Oliver. “Clinicians should ask about all smoking behaviors, taking into account -into non-daily smoking, as smokers may need treatment to successfully quit smoking. However, the extent to which conventional interventions are effective for light smokers is unclear. approaches for this population remain an important guide for future research. “
This research was supported by the National Institute on Drug Misuse. The content is the sole responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Jonathan Foulds has conducted paid consultancy for pharmaceutical companies involved in the manufacture of smoking cessation medicines (e.g., GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson); and has been a witness of compensation and compensation on behalf of planners suing cigarette manufacturers.