Cannabis use in the past year made it harder for young French adults to quit smoking tobacco | Research

The takeaway

Among 678 young adult smokers in France, recent cannabis use and financial difficulties were the strongest barriers to quitting tobacco, while living with a partner helped.

Read this if you smoke both cannabis and tobacco and are trying to quit cigarettes.

Cannabis use negatively predicted tobacco cessation success

What the researchers found

Researchers followed 678 regular smokers from a French cohort study (mean age 28.9) who had smoked for an average of 10.5 years. About 60% had attempted to quit at least once. Using Cox regression models, the study identified factors associated with successful tobacco cessation of at least 12 months.

Cannabis use in the preceding year was negatively associated with quitting tobacco, as were recent financial difficulties. Living with a partner increased the likelihood of successful cessation. For women specifically, pregnancy or recent childbirth was associated with quitting.

Personality traits and adolescent factors played less of a role than current substance use and social circumstances in predicting tobacco cessation success.

Why it matters

Cannabis and tobacco are often used together, and this study shows that cannabis use actively interferes with tobacco cessation. Treatment programs that address both substances simultaneously may be more effective than targeting tobacco alone.

The numbers in context

678 regular smokers studied. Mean age 28.9 years. Average smoking duration 10.5 years. 59.5% had attempted to quit at least once. Cannabis use and financial difficulties both negatively predicted cessation.

How the study worked

Longitudinal analysis from the TEMPO cohort study linked with the GAZEL parental cohort in France. Cox proportional hazards models estimated hazard ratios for tobacco cessation of at least 12 months among 678 regular smokers, examining psychological, social, and familial predictors.

What this study cannot tell us

French cohort may not generalize to other countries. Self-reported cannabis use and cessation. The study could not determine the mechanism by which cannabis interferes with tobacco cessation (social, pharmacological, or behavioral).

How to read the evidence

Longitudinal cohort study with validated cessation outcome (12+ months), though limited to a French sample.

When this study was published

Published in 2015 using French cohort data.

The bigger picture

The overlap between cannabis and tobacco use is a significant public health concern. Programs designed to help young adults quit smoking need to assess and address concurrent cannabis use, which this study identifies as a key barrier to success.

Questions still open

Does cannabis use interfere with tobacco cessation through pharmacological mechanisms, social contexts, or behavioral reinforcement? Would addressing cannabis use first improve tobacco cessation outcomes?

Common questions

Does cannabis use make it harder to quit cigarettes?

In this study of 678 young French smokers, cannabis use in the past year was significantly associated with failure to quit tobacco, even after controlling for other factors.

What helps young adults quit smoking?

Living with a partner was associated with successful cessation. For women, pregnancy or childbirth also helped. Cannabis use and financial difficulties made quitting harder.

Read the original research

Psychological, social and familial factors associated with tobacco cessation among young adults.

European addiction research, 21(3), 153-159

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Bowes, Lucy; Chollet, Aude; Fombonne, Eric; Melchior, Maria. (2015). Psychological, social and familial factors associated with tobacco cessation among young adults.. European addiction research, 21(3), 153-159. https://doi.org/10.1159/000367691