The early onset of nicotine dependence, severity of substance use disorder, and relapse: an inpatient study

ABSTRACT

Objective

To assess the association of early onset of smoking and use of other addictive substances with nicotine dependence, the extent of substance use, and the probability of relapse in drug treatment and rehabilitation centers.

Methods

Self-reported data were collected from July to September 2019 from 632 inpatients at five drug treatment facilities in the Philippines. The Addiction Severity Index (5^th edition) and the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence were used to assess the inpatients’ drug and alcohol use and nicotine dependence severity, respectively.

Results

Of a group of smokers who started smoking before the age of 10 years old, 54.3% were nicotine dependent current smokers and 9.89% were low to moderate nicotine dependent smokers. There were 82.61% male responders and 76% of the females started using drugs and alcohol before the age of 14. Other drug use eventually increased, yielding odds ratio of 26.5 and 28.9 in the past 30 days and lifetime, respectively, with 95% confidence interval of 10.8–64.9 and 11.5–72.9, indicating significant (p < .05) differences.

Conclusions

This study advises policymakers to focus more on educating and disseminating information about the early onset of nicotine, which paves the way to nicotine dependence and other drug use problems eventually. This present study suggests a follow-up intervention and an aftercare therapy solely for nicotine dependents with substance use disorder in the prevention of relapse after treatment.

KEYWORDS:

• Nicotine
• Fagerström test for nicotine dependence
• addiction severity index
• addiction severity
• the onset

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all the inpatients who voluntarily participated in this study. We also extend our thanks to our field researchers who helped us with data gathering at the rehabilitation facilities.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.