When you enter a Colorado drug rehab facility, you have a great deal of work to do to overcome your addiction to drugs or alcohol. Although rehab is a lot of work and requires a lot of effort, it can lead to a better life for you and your family. One consideration you may also have in rehab is whether to address your addiction to nicotine in addition to your other addictions.

About 60 to 75 percent of those who struggle with drug or alcohol abuse also smoke cigarettes, and smoking is also correlated with mental health problems as well. Here are some good reasons to consider quitting smoking while in rehab.

  • Smoking is more deadly than drugs and alcohol. In a recent year in Wisconsin, for example, about 2,400 people died of drug and alcohol-related causes, while 7,356 died of cancer, emphysema, and other lung diseases related to tobacco use.
  • Quitting smoking does not make relapse more likely. It was once commonly thought that trying to quit smoking and drugs or drinking at the same time would be too stressful and lead to relapse, but newer information has shown that smoking cessation can actually help with sobriety, particularly for alcoholics. Why? It is because the acts of smoking and drinking are so closely associated with each other.
  • Drinking and smoking together may greatly increase risks of cancer. One study showed that smoking and drinking together nearly quadrupled the risk of cancer compared to just one or the other behavior. No numbers yet have shown the effects of drug use and smoking on cancer rates, but a similar effect could exist there as well. Quitting smoking and addressing other addictions together will reduce health risks and lead to better health outcomes.
  • You will not gain a lot of weight. Quitting your smoking habit does not lead to excessive weight gain. Many who quit do not gain weight or only gain a small amount. Replacing a smoking habit with exercise and healthy eating will help to combat weight gain and improve health even more.

It may feel overwhelming to think about quitting smoking at the same time you are battling another addiction, but rehab is a time when you will have more support and help in overcoming nicotine addiction than you will at any other time in your life. There are many treatment options for nicotine addiction, including counseling, cessation aids like gum, and medications that can gradually wean you off of nicotine dependence so withdrawal will not be as severe.

If quitting smoking is something you have wanted to do for your health and well-being, there is no reason not to consider smoking cessation as part of your Colorado drug or alcohol rehab experience. To learn more about Recovery Village at Palmer Lake and its many addiction treatment programs, contact us.

Medical Disclaimer

The Recovery Village at Palmer Lake aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers.