Resumption of Smoking After Release From a Tobacco-Free Correctional Facility

• NCJ Number: 227766
• Journal: Journal of Correctional Health Care Volume: 15 Issue: 3 Dated: July 2009 Pages: 190-196
• Author(s): Thomas Lincoln M.D.; Robert W. Tuthill Ph.D.; Cheryl A. Roberts M.P.A.; Sofia Kennedy M.P.H.; Theodore M. Hammett Ph.D.; Elizabeth Langmore-Avila M.A., D.T.R.; Thomas J. Conklin M.D.
• Date Published: July 2009
• Length: 7 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Justice (NIJ); Ctr's for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Open Society Foundation; Hampden County Sheriff's Dept; Baystate Medical Center
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study sought to assess inmate cigarette smoking behavior at intake and whether involuntary smoking cessation led to abstinence from smoking after release back into the community.

Abstract

Results of this study indicate that self-reported sustained abstinence rates were 37.3 percent at the end of the first day, 17.7 percent for the first week, 13.7 percent for 1 month, and 3.1 percent for 6 months. These abstinence rates were lower than those reported after military basic training and medical hospitalization but similar to rates after inpatient psychiatric and addiction programs. The smoking rates among incarcerated inmates have been estimated to be as high as 70 percent, which is well above the 21 percent rate for the total United States population. However, many facilities prohibit smoking, but no published study has measured the relapse to tobacco after release. The Hampden County Correctional Center (HCCC) emphasizes early detection, education, prevention, appropriate treatment, and continuity of care, a public health model of correctional healthcare. As part of an evaluation of the impact of the program on healthcare and behavior postrelease, 200 participating inmates with chronic medical conditions were interviewed on day 3 of their incarceration and again 1 month and 6 months after their return to the community. This provided an opportunity to assess their cigarette smoking behavior at intake and whether involuntary smoking cessation led to abstinence from smoking after release back into the community. Figure, table, notes, and references