Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
Volume 30, Issue 3 , Pages 213-217, April 2006

High-dose nicotine patch therapy for smokers with a history of alcohol dependence: 36-week outcomes

  • David Kalman, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
    • Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Administration Medical Center, Bedford, MA 01730, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
    • ,
  • Christopher W. Kahler, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Center for Alcohol and Addictions Studies, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
    • ,
  • Arthur J. Garvey, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • School of Dental Medicine, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02115, USA
    • ,
  • Peter M. Monti, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Center for Alcohol and Addictions Studies, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
    • Veterans Administration Medical Center, Providence, RI 02908, USA

Received 21 November 2005; accepted 6 January 2006.

Abstract 

This study reports findings from an investigation of the efficacy of high-dose nicotine patch (NP) therapy for heavy smokers with a history of alcohol dependence. One hundred thirty participants were randomly assigned to 42 or 21 mg of transdermal nicotine. Follow-up assessments were conducted at 4, 12, 24, and 36 weeks. Differences between dose conditions were nonsignificant, although, unexpectedly, outcomes favored participants in the 21-mg NP condition. Nicotine abstinence rates in the 21- and 42-mg NP conditions on Week 36 follow-up were 16.9% and 9.2%, respectively. Patch condition did not interact with severity of nicotine dependence. However, nicotine abstinence at follow-up was related to a longer length of alcohol abstinence. No evidence was found for better outcomes as a function of the percentage of baseline cotinine replaced by NPs. Future research should focus primarily on investigating ways to improve smoking quit rates for smokers in early alcohol recovery.

Keywords: Nicotine patch, Smoking cessation, Nicotine dependence, Alcohol dependence, Addiction

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 A limited portion of the manuscript was presented as an abstract at the annual conference of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (New Orleans, LA, March 2003).

PII: S0740-5472(06)00003-1

doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2006.01.001

Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
Volume 30, Issue 3 , Pages 213-217, April 2006

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