Efforts to quit smoking among persons with a history of alcohol problems--Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska, 1995-1996.

In 1991, approximately 13.8 million adults in the United States met diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, or both. In addition, at least 80% of persons in this group were likely to be daily tobacco smokers and, therefore, at increased risk for oral and pharyngeal cancers. In Minnesota, among adult smokers with a history of alcohol abuse during 1972-1983, the number of tobacco-related deaths was higher than the number of alcohol-related deaths. To assess rates of smoking cessation among adults with a history of alcohol problems, the University of Nebraska Medical Center conducted an intervention study with 1 year of follow-up during 1995-1996 in 12 residential alcohol-treatment centers in Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska. This report summarizes the findings, which suggest that a substantial proportion of adults recently treated for alcoholism attempted to quit smoking, even though actual quit rates were low.