Smoking Cessation in Alcoholism Treatment

This study is designed to increase understanding of the processes that affect the treatment outcome of individuals with both alcohol and nicotine dependence. Treatment outcome methodology will be combined with a computerized self-monitoring methodology to examine the extent to which smoking serves as a cue for alcohol craving and/or as a response to alcohol craving in treated alcoholics. Subjects will be veterans participating in the Substance Abuse Day Programs at the Newington and West Haven campuses of the VA Connecticut Healthcare System. Nonveteran women will be recruited from the community and enrolled in the day program. Subjects will be randomly assigned to one of the following two conditions: (1) intensive smoking cessation therapy (counseling plus nicotine replacement using nicotine patches) concurrent with alcohol treatment, or (2) brief smoking cessation advice concurrent with alcohol treatment.