Best practice for tobacco smoking policies within an acute substance use disorder care facility: considerations from a withdrawal management setting in British Columbia, Canada

Abstract

Smoking-related illness has historically been a major cause of death in persons with substance use disorders. Smoking cessation has the potential to support improved substance use disorder outcomes, as well as improved physical and mental health outcomes in persons receiving other substance use disorder treatment. However, tobacco abstinence-oriented policies within substance use disorder care settings may create barriers to clients who are uninterested in quitting smoking being able to access other potentially lifesaving substance use disorder treatment. In British Columbia, where the drug toxicity crisis has become the leading cause of unnatural death, reducing barriers to accessing substance use disorder treatment is a key public health priority. We present a reflection on considerations from a withdrawal management setting of a smoking policy change within that facility and review the potential benefits and harms of permissive smoking policies within substance use disorder care environments. Benefits include the elimination of a barrier to accessing other substance use treatment, patient autonomy over participation in smoking cessation treatment and the potential for less covert smoking and associated risks. Risks include ongoing physical and mental health harms of smoking, potentially poorer other substance use treatment outcomes, risks of tobacco relapse to other clients and secondhand smoke exposure to staff and other clients. Further research will be needed to explore the impacts of this policy change and evaluate the potential role for other smoking cessation innovations, including expansion of nicotine replacement options such as provision of nicotine electronic cigarette devices.

Keywords: Addiction; Cessation; Co-substance use; Priority/special populations.