Tabakentwöhnung mit kognitiv-behavioraler Gruppentherapie während einer 3-wöchigen qualifizierten Alkoholentzugsbehandlung: Effekte auf den Tabakkonsum

Background: The effect of a cognitive-behavioral group therapy (CBT) in the context of a smoking cessation intervention on cigarette consumption and smoking cessation during a 3-week residential alcohol addiction treatment program was evaluated. Subjects and Methods: 73 alcohol-dependent patients with comorbid nicotine dependence were enrolled in the study. 60 participants (82.2%) decided in favor of a combination therapy for smoking cessation consisting of tobacco cessation medication and CBT. The control group with 13 participants (17.8%) only received smoking cessation medication. Results: In contrast to the control group without CBT, participants with CBT had succeeded in decreasing their average cigarette consumption significantly at discharge and at 3-month follow-up. Albeit not statistically significant, substantially more patients in the CBT group achieved abstinence at discharge and follow-up (28.3 and 14.3%, respectively) compared to the patients without CBT (15.4 and 9.1%, respectively). Patients who were tobaccoabstinent at discharge and follow-up had participated significantly more frequently in the CBT sessions. 68.4 and 66.7% of the participants having been abstinent at discharge and follow-up, respectively, had stopped smoking during the first week after study enrollment, 92.9% of whom belonged to the CBT group. Conclusion: The participating tobacco-dependent alcoholics preferentially chose a combination of CBT and smoking cessation medication for smoking cessation during a 3-week residential alcohol addiction treatment program. In contrast to patients without CBT, these patients achieved significant reductions in daily cigarette consumption at discharge and follow-up. A considerable proportion of patients with CBT achieved prolonged tobacco abstinence. Early tobacco abstinence and an increased number of CBT sessions during a smoking cessation program appear to have a positive association with prolonged tobacco abstinence.