Tabaquismo en pacientes en tratamiento de mantenimiento con metadona

Abstract

Objectives

To determine the prevalence of tobacco use, the degree of dependence and motivation to quit smoking, and previous attempts to stop smoking and acceptance of future interventions for smoking cessation in patients on methadone maintenance treatment (MMT).

Methods

Descriptive study using a questionnaire administered to 78 patients and completed by the physician at the time of consultation. We analysed both qualitative and quantitative variables on personal characteristics, some variables related to smoking and others related to MMT.

Results

The prevalence of smokers at the time of the study was 84.6 % (confidence interval [IC] 95 %: 77–93 %), lower than observed at the start of MMT which was 96.2 % (χ² = 12,18; df 4, p = 0.16). More than half of smokers (52 %) had made some attempt to quit with an average of 2 attempts (standardd deviation [SD] 1.8). Most of them (82.9 %) did not use any treatment at all. Fifty percent were motivated to quit smoking and 59 % would be interested in receiving some help.

Conclusions

Assesment of tobacco use, advice in smoking cessation and offering suitable and specific treatment to stop smoking in order to reduce both morbidity an mortality linked to tobacco use, should be made not only in general population, but in MMT patients, too.