Heavy Versus Light Smoking: Its Association With Opioid Use, Chronic Pain, and Mental Health, in American Journal of Preventive Medicine
key takeaway: "Only 37 percent of the population has ever smoked, but they used 69% of the nation's annual prescription opioids. Adults who smoked more than 5 cigarettes a day composed 12% of the population but used about the same number of opioids as the 63% of the population who never smoked. Adults who formerly smoked used 16% fewer opioids than adults who currently smoke (p<0.01). The percent with chronic pain during the year varied from 12.2% for adults who never smoked to 14.2% for light smoking, to 16.5% for those smoking more than a pack a day (p<0.01). Severe work limitations due to pain varied from 7.3% for adults who never smoked to 16.9% for those smoking more than a pack a day (p<0.01). Adults smoking more than a pack a day were twice as likely to report fair or poor mental health compared to those who never smoked (29.2% vs 13.6%) (p<0.01)."
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