Our primary goal must be to get the patient to stop drinking or using drugs and not to adopt extreme policies about smoking cessation. The focus on smoking cessation can come a bit later in treatment when we use motivational interviewing techniques. We should continue to focus on it gently – very gently – when the patient persists in smoking and states that it is his or her desire to do so.
Nonetheless, we can, and should, be proud of patients who quit drinking or using drugs and are able to become productive, functioning members of society – even if they do light up a cigarette every now and then.
Dr. Markowitz is a general psychiatrist with certification in addiction psychiatry. He works in Tampa in general psychiatry and substance abuse treatment.