Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #108455

Stephen J. Heishman, PhD, Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 5500 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, (410) 550-1547, heishman@nih.gov

Smokers are more likely to use illicit drugs than nonsmokers. The rate of past month illicit drug use among smokers in 2003 was 19.8% compared to 4.2% in nonsmokers. A phenomenon common to tobacco and illicit drug use is craving. We examined tobacco craving in smokers who also used illicit drugs with imagery scripts that describe situations involving desire for cigarettes or contain no mention of smoking. We also developed low-craving and high-craving scripts that vary in craving content. Subjects were instructed to imagine themselves in the scene being described. In three studies, we found that self-reported tobacco craving increased as a function of craving content of the scripts. Because of their illicit drug use, we asked subjects to rate craving for their “drug of choice” after the imagery scripts. Drug of choice craving ratings also increased as a function of tobacco craving content of the scripts. Further, ratings of tobacco craving were positively correlated with ratings of illicit drug craving. These data suggest that environmental stimuli that engender tobacco craving can also trigger craving for illicit drugs. These data have important treatment implications because 80-95% of drug abusers also smoke. For example, individuals in drug abuse treatment may relapse more readily if they experience heightened tobacco craving while attempting to quit smoking. On the other hand, tobacco craving that occurs during continued smoking may also inhibit abstinence from illicit drugs. Treatment efforts will benefit from a more complete understanding of the interrelationships between tobacco and illicit drug craving.

Learning Objectives:

• Attendees will be able to describe the relationship between craving for cigarettes and for illicit drugs. Attendees will be able to articulate the implications of this craving relationship for drug treatment strategies.

Keywords: Health Risks, Tobacco

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.