Smoking is recognized as a leading cause of preventable disability and death. New research shows that as smokers increase their daily number of cigarettes, they report higher rates of chronic pain , more prescription opioid use, severe work limitations due to pain, and poor mental health. A novel study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine , published by Elsevier, details the results of an analysis of nationally representative data from the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), revealing a strong link between smoking and opioid use and emphasizing the need for integrated treatment programs.
Summarizing key findings, the study's authors William Encinosa, PhD, Didem Bernard, PhD, and R. Burciaga Valdez, PhD, MHSA, Division of Research and Modeling, Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University, say, "Our research shows that adults who smoke 11-20 cigarettes per day use five times more prescription opioids than adults who never smoked. Adults who smoke more than a pack of cigarettes a day use almost three times as many opioids than adults who smoke 11-20 cigarettes per day.
Thus, integrating smoking cessation programs into substance use treatments would be a prudent way of reducing prescription opioid use." The team of researchers analyzed data from 2013 to 2021 from MEPS and the Centers for Disease Control and Pr.
