Deidentified public survey data for: Patterns and perceptions of nicotine use among U.S. adolescents and young adults receiving medication treatment for opioid use disorder

Nicotine use among U.S. youth is cause for concern, as previous studies
have shown that nicotine use in adolescence increases the risk of
developing substance use disorders later in life. This exploratory study
aimed to understand patterns of nicotine use and perceptions of various
nicotine products among adolescents and young adults (AYA) receiving
medication treatment for opioid use disorder (MOUD). We administered an
adapted version of the National Youth Tobacco Survey via REDCap to AYA
(n=32) receiving outpatient care in the Medication-Assisted Treatment of
Addiction at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A.
Thirty (97%) participants had tried a combustible cigarette and 27 (90%)
had tried an electronic cigarette. By age 13, nineteen (61%) participants
had tried combustible cigarettes and eight (25%) had tried opioids.
Twenty-two (71%) participants reported smoking combustible cigarettes
every day for the past 30 days, and 15 (48%) reported smoking more than 10
cigarettes per day on average. Only ten (32%) participants reported
e-cigarette use in the last 30 days. Participants universally agreed that
tobacco products are dangerous, and twenty (67%) current tobacco users
reported that they planned to quit in the next year. Nicotine use patterns
among AYA receiving MOUD differ from that previously shown in the general
population, primarily by high prevalence of nicotine use in early
adolescence and high current combustible cigarette use. Interventions such
as universal screening for nicotine use before age 13 and tailored smoking
cessation programs for AYA with OUD may help optimize care for these
individuals.