Psilocybin and other psychedelics have long been known to aid in mental health treatments, from depression to dementia. It has shown promise in decreasing suicidal ideation, as well as in Alcohol Use Disorder and Opioid addiction. But how about helping people stop smoking?
Nicotine is currently the single most significant preventable cause of death worldwide, with more than 8 million people dying from tobacco use per year and 1.2 million dying from second-hand smoke. Even higher numbers suffer from avoidable tobacco use-related diseases, including cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, and smokers are more likely to suffer complications from COVID-19.
Smoking is also famously challenging to quit, with other addictions being compared to it in pop culture and general day-to-day life. With over 70% of smokers in America wanting to stop, a vast industry has sprung up around quitting, ranging from highly pharmaceutical solutions to home remedies and hacks suggested to kick the habit finally. Still, these solutions are more likely to fail than help people stop smoking long-term.
So, how can psychedelics help?
The first study including psychedelics funded by the National Institute of Health in 50 years has shown that lifetime use of psychedelics lends itself to lower odds of current nicotine dependence.
First, some terms that are used in the study that will be helpful to define:
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is a survey that addresses drug use and health in the USA in individuals 12 and older. Currently, the survey does not include incarcerated individuals, the unhoused population, or those who are currently on active duty.
The Nicotine Dependence Syndrome Scale (NDSS) is a test that measures how dependent people are on Nicotine. During this study, participants were classed as being nicotine dependent if they scored a 2.75.
Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND) is a more straightforward measure, where individuals are classed as dependent on Nicotine if they regularly smoke a cigarette within 30 minutes of waking up.
The primary findings from this study show psilocybin use is linked with lower odds of being nicotine dependent by both NDSS and FTND measures, and peyote and mescaline show lower levels of dependence in certain sections of the NDSS. When psychedelics are compared to other substances, the vast majority of which did not show lower levels of nicotine dependence (there was one sedative that was linked with lower levels of one of the NDSS sections).
The study also suggests that not only does the use of psychedelics help reduce current nicotine dependence, but it also shows hope for helping reduce future nicotine dependence. However, this will need to be backed up by further research.
Further research will also be critical in covering the limitations of this study. The most significant limitation of this study is the NSDUH method. As everything is self-reported (meaning that people may lie or be too embarrassed to tell the whole truth) and with many of the population who are traditionally known as having a high level of nicotine dependence being excluded, it does not provide an accurate picture of the population. Another is the fact that whereas this shows a correlation between psychedelic use and lowered nicotine dependence, it does not show causation. Further studies will need to be conducted that take other factors into account to narrow down that the reason for reduced nicotine dependence is psychedelics and not another currently unknown factor.
However, this study is a fantastic first step into the potential use of psychedelics, specifically psilocybin, as a treatment for nicotine dependence and the potential for them to help the current endemic of nicotine use in this country. It is certainly worth keeping an eye on as the research evolves in the future!
