Ongoing tobacco use in women who experience homelessness and unstable housing: A prospective study to inform tobacco cessation interventions and policies.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco use is common in people who experience homelessness. However, despite biological differences in use by sex and lower quit rates in women, research in homeless and unstably housed (HUH) women is sparse. We identified correlates of use specific to this population, with the goal of informing tobacco cessation programs tailored for HUH women. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study among HUH women recruited from San Francisco homeless shelters, street encampments, free meal programs and low-income hotels. Between June 2016 and January 2019, study participants completed six monthly interviews to examine factors associated with tobacco use, defined as urinary cotinine >10 pg/mL or self-reported prior 30-day use. RESULTS: Among 245 participants, 40% were Black, the median age was 53, 75% currently used tobacco and 89% had ≥one 24-hour quit attempt in the prior year. Tobacco use was more common in women with PTSD (66% vs. 48%) and depression (54% vs. 35%) compared to women without these conditions. Adjusted odds of tobacco use decreased significantly with increasing age (OR/5 yrs: 0.81; 95% CI:0.68, 0.96) and increased with an increasing number of additional substances used (OR: 2.52; 95% CI: 1.88, 3.39). CONCLUSION: Outside of a treatment setting and within a community-recruited sample population composed of HUH women, the number of additional substances used is a primary correlate of ongoing tobacco use. Tailored cessation interventions that prioritize the issue of multiple substance use, and public health policies that allocate funding to address it, may increase tobacco cessation in this population.

Association of Medicaid Expansion and Health Insurance with Receipt of Smoking Cessation Services and Smoking Behaviors in Substance Use Disorder Treatment.

This study examined whether living in a Medicaid-expanded state or having health insurance was associated with receipt of smoking cessation services or smoking behaviors among substance use disorder (SUD) treatment clients. In 2015 and 2016, 1702 SUD clients in 14 states were surveyed for health insurance status, smoking cessation services received in their treatment program, and smoking behaviors. Services and behaviors were then compared by state Medicaid expansion and health insurance status independently. Clients in Medicaid-expanded states were more likely to be insured (89.9% vs. 54.4%, p < 0.001) and to have quit smoking during treatment (AOR = 3.77, 95% CI = 2.47, 5.76). Insured clients had higher odds of being screened for smoking status in their treatment program and making quit attempts in the past year. Medicaid expansion supports greater health insurance coverage of individuals in SUD treatment and may enhance smoking cessation.

State Policies Targeting Alcohol Use during Pregnancy and Alcohol Use among Pregnant Women 1985-2016: Evidence from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

BACKGROUND: Most states have at least one policy targeting alcohol use during pregnancy. The public health impact of these policies has not been examined. We sought to examine the relationship between state-level policies targeting alcohol use during pregnancy and alcohol use among pregnant women. METHODS: Data include state-level alcohol and pregnancy policy data and individual-level U.S. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data about pregnant women's alcohol use from 1985 to 2016 (N = 57,194). Supportive policies include mandatory warning signs, priority substance abuse treatment, reporting requirements for data and treatment purposes, and prohibitions on criminal prosecution. Punitive policies include civil commitment, Child Protective Services reporting requirements, and child abuse/neglect. Analyses include logistic regression models that adjust for individual- and state-level controls, include fixed effects for state and year, account for clustering by state, and weight by probability of selection. RESULTS: Relative to having no policies, supportive policy environments were associated with more any drinking, but not binge or heavy drinking. Of individual supportive policies, only the following relationships were statistically significant: mandatory warning signs was associated with lower odds of binge drinking, and priority treatment for pregnant women and women with children was associated with higher odds of any drinking. Relative to no policies, punitive policy environments were also associated with more drinking, but not with binge or heavy drinking. Of individual punitive policies, only child abuse/neglect was associated with lower odds of binge and heavy drinking. Mixed policy environments were not associated with any alcohol outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Most policies targeting alcohol use during pregnancy do not seem to be associated with less alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Cost-effectiveness of hepatitis C screening and treatment linkage intervention in US methadone maintenance treatment programs.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of a hepatitis C (HCV) screening and active linkage to care intervention in US methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) patients using data from a randomized trial conducted in New York City and San Francisco. METHODS: We used a decision analytic model to compare 1) no intervention; 2) HCV screening and education (control); and 3) HCV screening, education, and care coordination (active linkage intervention). We also explored an alternative strategy wherein HCV/HIV co-infected participants linked elsewhere. Trial data include population characteristics (67% male, mean age 48, 58% HCV infected) and linkage rates. Data from published sources include treatment efficacy and HCV re-infection risk. We projected quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and lifetime medical costs using an established model of HCV (HEP-CE). Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) are in 2015 US$/QALY discounted 3% annually. RESULTS: The control strategy resulted in a projected 35% linking to care within 6 months and 31% achieving sustained virologic response (SVR). The intervention resulted in 60% linking and 54% achieving SVR with an ICER of $24,600/QALY compared to no intervention from the healthcare sector perspective and was a more efficient use of resources than the control strategy. The intervention had an ICER of $76,500/QALY compared to the alternative strategy. From a societal perspective, the intervention had a net monetary benefit of $511,000-$975,600. CONCLUSIONS: HCV care coordination interventions that include screening, education and active linkage to care in MMT settings are likely cost-effective at a conventional $100,000/QALY threshold for both HCV mono-infected and HIV co-infected patients.

Smoking-related outcomes and associations with tobacco-free policy in addiction treatment, 2015-2016.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed changes in smoking-related outcomes in two cross-sectional samples of clients enrolled in addiction treatment and whether tobacco-free grounds policies were associated with smoking-related outcomes. METHOD: Clients in 25 programs were surveyed in 2015 (N=1176) and 2016 (N=1055). The samples were compared on smoking prevalence, cigarettes per day (CPD), thinking of quitting, past year quit attempts, staff and clients smoking together, attitudes towards quitting, and tobacco-related services. Second, programs with (n=6) and without (n=17) tobacco-free grounds at both time points were compared on smoking-related outcomes. Last, we examined changes in these measures for two programs that adopted tobacco-free grounds between 2015 and 2016. RESULTS: There was one difference across years, such that the mean score for the tobacco Program Service scale increased from 2.37 to 2.48 (p=0.043, effect size=0.02). In programs with tobacco-free grounds policies, compared to those without, both CPD and the rate of staff and clients smoking together were significantly lower. In the two programs where tobacco-free grounds were implemented during study years, client smoking prevalence decreased (92.5% v. 67.6%, p=0.005), the rate of staff and clients smoking together decreased (35.6% v. 4.2%, p=0.031), mean CPD decreased (10.62v. 8.24, p<0.001) and mean tobacco services received by clients increased (2.08v. 3.05, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Addiction treatment programs, and agencies responsible for licensing, regulating and funding these programs, should implement tobacco-free grounds policies.

Drug abuse staff and clients smoking together: A shared addiction.

Smoking is endemic in drug abuse treatment populations, and smoking prevalence in this population appears unresponsive to existing tobacco control strategies. Clinical and policy guidelines encourage programs to address smoking among clients, and research has identified key barriers to doing so. This report explores the practice of staff and clients smoking together in drug treatment programs, and how this practice is associated with other tobacco-related measures. Clients (N=1113) were surveyed and program directors were interviewed in a national sample of 24 drug abuse treatment programs affiliated with the NIDA Clinical Trials Network. Clients were asked whether they observed staff and clients smoking together in their program and, using program as the unit of analysis, this measure was tested for its association with client-level and program-level tobacco-related outcomes. Higher rates of staff and client smoking together were associated with higher staff smoking prevalence (p=0.006), lower rates of client thoughts about quitting in the next 30days (p=0.027), more negative client attitudes toward quitting smoking (p=0.004), and with clients receiving fewer tobacco-related services (p=0.024). These findings illuminate an actionable, low cost policy intervention to address smoking in drug abuse treatment, which is to prohibit the practice of staff smoking together with clients. In the interest of the health of clients whom they serve, counselors, program directors, state regulatory agencies, and federal funding agencies should act to end this practice.

Adolescents' attitudes towards e-cigarette ingredients, safety, addictive properties, social norms, and regulation.

E-cigarette use has dramatically increased. While studies have examined adolescents' attitudes towards smoking, few have extended this research to adolescents' attitudes towards e-cigarettes. The goal of this study was to examine adolescents' attitudes regarding e-cigarette ingredients, safety, addictive properties, social norms, accessibility, price, and regulation; and determine whether attitudes differ by past cigarette/e-cigarette use. Participants were 786 9th and 12th graders from California (63.21% females; mean age=16.10years [SD=1.6]; 26.61% White, 21.98% Asian/Pacific Islander, 29.82% Hispanic, and 21.59% other). Results indicated that 19.05% of participants believed smoke from e-cigarettes is water; 23.03% believed e-cigarettes aren't a tobacco product; 40.36% considered e-cigarettes to be for cessation, and 43.13% felt they were safer than cigarettes. Participants felt it was more acceptable to use e-cigarettes indoors and outdoors compared to cigarettes (p<0.0001), 23.13% felt raising e-cigarette taxes is a bad idea, 63.95% thought e-cigarettes were easier to get than cigarettes, 54.42% felt e-cigarettes cost too much, 64.33% felt the age for buying e-cigarettes should be raised, and 64.37% favored e-cigarette regulation. Adolescents who used e-cigarettes and/or cigarettes had significantly more favorable e-cigarette attitudes than non-users. This study indicates that adolescents are aware of some of the risks of e-cigarettes, although many harbor misperceptions and hold more favorable attitudes towards e-cigarettes than cigarettes. Of concern is the relationship between favorable e-cigarette attitudes and use. Findings suggest the need to provide adolescents with correct information about e-cigarette ingredients, risks, and the insufficient evidence of their role in cigarette cessation.

Mapping Engagement in Twitter-Based Support Networks for Adult Smoking Cessation.

We examined engagement in novel quit-smoking private social support networks on Twitter, January 2012 to April 2014. We mapped communication patterns within 8 networks of adult smokers (n = 160) with network ties defined by participants' tweets over 3 time intervals, and examined tie reciprocity, tie strength, in-degree centrality (popularity), 3-person triangles, 4-person cliques, network density, and abstinence status. On average, more than 50% of ties were reciprocated in most networks and most ties were between abstainers and nonabstainers. Tweets formed into more aggregated patterns especially early in the study. Across networks, 35.00% (7 days after the quit date), 49.38% (30 days), and 46.88% (60 days) abstained from smoking. We demonstrated that abstainers and nonabstainers engaged with one another in dyads and small groups. This study preliminarily suggests potential for Twitter as a platform for adult smoking-cessation interventions.

Menthol use among smokers with psychological distress: findings from the 2008 and 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

OBJECTIVE: The Food and Drug Administration is considering regulation of menthol cigarettes. While persons with mental distress are known to smoke cigarettes at high rates, little is known about their use of menthol. The authors examined the association of psychological distress and menthol use in a national sample of adult smokers. METHODS: Data were from the 2008 and 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Past month smokers (N=24,157) were categorised for menthol or non-menthol use. Psychological distress was categorised as none/mild, moderate or severe on the Kessler six-item scale. RESULTS: The prevalence of menthol use was higher among individuals with severe psychological distress, women, young adults, African-Americans, Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, persons with fewer years of education and lower income, and the unmarried and uninsured. In a multivariate model controlling for socio-demographic factors, smoking intensity and time to first cigarette, smokers with severe (adjusted OR (AOR) 1.23, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.46, p=0.02) but not moderate (AOR 1.03, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.15, p=0.58) psychological distress were significantly more likely to smoke menthols compared with smokers with none/mild distress. CONCLUSION: An elevated prevalence of menthol use was found among persons with severe psychological distress, suggesting another group that could potentially benefit from the regulation of menthol cigarettes.

Smoking abstinence-related expectancies among American Indians, African Americans, and women: potential mechanisms of tobacco-related disparities.

Research has documented tobacco-related health disparities by race and gender. Prior research, however, has not examined expectancies about the smoking cessation process (i.e., abstinence-related expectancies) as potential contributors to tobacco-related disparities in special populations. This cross-sectional study compared abstinence-related expectancies between American Indian (n = 87), African American (n = 151), and White (n = 185) smokers, and between women (n = 231) and men (n = 270) smokers. Abstinence-related expectancies also were examined as mediators of race and gender relationships with motivation to quit and abstinence self efficacy. Results indicated that American Indians and African Americans were less likely than Whites to expect withdrawal effects, and more likely to expect that quitting would be unproblematic. African Americans also were less likely than Whites to expect smoking cessation interventions to be effective. Compared with men, women were more likely to expect withdrawal effects and weight gain. These expectancy differences mediated race and gender relationships with motivation to quit and abstinence self-efficacy. Findings emphasize potential mechanisms underlying tobacco-related health disparities among American Indians, African Americans, and women and suggest a number of specific approaches for targeting tobacco dependence interventions to these populations.

Subjective social status and substance use severity in a young adult sample.

Subjective social status (SSS), an individual's subjective view of standing in society, has been shown to better predict health outcomes compared to objective measures of socioeconomic status (SES), including educational attainment and income. This study examines the relationship between SSS and severity of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use after controlling for objective measures of SES. Young adults (N = 1,987) aged 18-25 who reported smoking at least one cigarette in the past 30 days were recruited and surveyed anonymously online. Three separate structural equation models examined whether SSS was associated with severity of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use, controlling for personal and household income, years of education, employment status, and parental education. Household income (b = .31), employment status (b = .07), years of education (b = .09), and parental education (b = .16) were positively associated with SSS (all p values < .001); personal income was not significantly associated with SSS (p = .11). All three models adequately fit the data. SSS was negatively associated with severity of tobacco (b = -.13, p < .001) and marijuana use (b = -36, p = .02), but not alcohol use severity (b = .01, p = .56). Among young adults, higher subjective social status is associated with less severe tobacco and marijuana use, whereas alcohol use severity appears to be similar across socioeconomic class.

The association between self-reported mental health status and alcohol and drug abstinence 5 years post-assessment for an addiction disorder in U.S. and Swedish samples.

This study compared whether self-reported mental health status was associated with likelihood of being abstinent from alcohol and drugs five years after baseline assessment for an addiction disorder in two representative samples; one from Sweden (n = 469) and one from the US (n = 667). Self-reported mental health status was measured through the ASI score of mental health symptoms and history of inpatient and/or outpatient treatment. Through logistic regression modeling the study controlled for demographic characteristics including age, gender, employment status and social network connection with individuals who do not use alcohol/drugs. For both the US and Swedish samples employment status and having a social network that does not use alcohol and drugs were associated with being likely to be abstinent from alcohol and drugs five years after initial assessment. For the US sample only, individuals who reported symptoms of anxiety were 50% more likely not to be abstinent from alcohol and drugs at follow-up. For the Swedish sample, current mental health status was not significantly associated with abstinence. However, reporting a lifetime history of inpatient psychiatric treatment at the baseline assessment was significantly associated with not being abstinent at 5 years post assessment; those with a lifetime history of inpatient mental health treatment were 47% less likely to report abstinence. While specific variables differ across Sweden and the US, psychiatric comorbid status, employment and social network are each associated with drug and alcohol abstinence cross-nationally.

Marijuana and tobacco co-use in young adults: patterns and thoughts about use.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the frequency and intensity of tobacco use and thoughts about abstinence among young adults in the United States as a function of their use of marijuana. We hypothesized that heavier marijuana use would be associated with heavier tobacco use and fewer attempts to quit smoking, and we explored relationships between marijuana use and ratings of intentions and thoughts related to quitting tobacco. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional survey consisting of online recruitment and anonymous self-report. Participants were English literate, were between the ages of 18 and 25 years, and reported past-month tobacco use. More than half (53%) had smoked marijuana in the past 30 days. Tobacco use (quantity/frequency, Heavy Smoking Index, past-year quit attempt), thoughts about tobacco use (outcome expectancies, desire, self-efficacy, difficulty of quitting, abstinence goal, pros and cons, stage of change), alcohol use, and other drug use were assessed. RESULTS: Compared with those who smoked only tobacco, cousers were younger and had smoked for fewer years; had higher household income; were more likely to be male, multiethnic, and nondaily smokers; and reported greater alcohol and other drug use. The variable of days using marijuana in the past 30 days was associated with multiple measures of tobacco use intensity/frequency. Only one association was significant between marijuana use and tobacco-related cognitions: Cousers had a lower likelihood of planning to quit tobacco for good (odds ratio = 0.75, 95% CI [0.58, 0.98]). CONCLUSIONS: Findings support the association between tobacco and marijuana use among young people but speak to the importance of addressing tobacco cognitions in young adult smokers regardless of level of marijuana use.

Remission from alcohol and other drug problem use in public and private treatment samples over seven years.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of alcohol and other drugs is now more commonly framed in terms of a chronic condition which requires ongoing monitoring. A model which includes continuing access to health care may optimize outcomes. Most studies of chronic care models have not included health care and have only examined short term effects. METHODS: The sample (n = 783) included consecutive admissions in ten public and private alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment programs followed over seven years. The outcome was remission which was defined as alcohol and drug abstinence or non-problem use. RESULTS: In the private sample, receiving health care services predicted remission across the seven years; however this did not occur in the public sample. More patients in the public treatment sample received AOD treatment readmissions each year, while more of those in the private sector received psychiatric and general health visits. Except for drug problem severity, there were no other clinical differences between the samples. There were no differences in the proportions of patients in the two sectors who received the full spectrum of chronic care services. In the final models, 12-step participation was markedly significant for both samples. CONCLUSIONS: Models of chronic care for substance use need to consider differences between private and public treatment and should take into account that individuals may not always have access, or avail themselves of services that may optimize long-term outcomes.

The effect of cognitive impairment on mental healthcare costs for individuals with severe psychiatric illness.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to determine the effect of cognitive impairment (CI) on mental healthcare costs for older low-income adults with severe psychiatric illness. METHODS: Data were collected from 62 ethnically diverse low-income older adults with severe psychiatric illness who were participating in day programming at a large community mental health center. CI was diagnosed by a neuropsychologist utilizing the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale-Second Edition and structured ratings of functional impairment (Clinical Dementia Rating Scale). Mental healthcare costs for 6, 12, and 24-month intervals before cognitive assessments were obtained for each participant. Substance abuse history was evaluated utilizing a structured questionnaire, depression symptom severity was assessed utilizing the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and psychiatric diagnoses were obtained through medical chart abstraction. RESULTS: CI was exhibited by 61% of participants and was associated with significantly increased mental healthcare costs during 6, 12, and 24-month intervals. Results of a regression analysis indicated that ethnicity and CI were both significant predictors of log transformed mental healthcare costs over 24 months with CI accounting for 13% of the variance in cost data. CONCLUSIONS: CI is a significant factor associated with increased mental healthcare costs in patients with severe psychiatric illness. Identifying targeted interventions to accommodate CI may lead to improving treatment outcomes and reducing the burden of mental healthcare costs for individuals with severe psychiatric illness.

Transitioning into and out of problem drinking across seven years.

OBJECTIVE: The extent to which problem drinkers transition into and out of problem drinking was examined using Markov modeling. METHOD: Study participants (N = 1,350) were randomly sampled from one county's general population and from consecutive admissions to public and private alcohol treatment programs in the same county, and they were assessed at 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year follow-ups. At baseline, all met the criteria for problem drinking. Individuals were classified as "problem drinkers" if they reported at least two of three criteria (heavy episodic drinking, social consequences, dependence symptoms according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition) during the prior 12 months. RESULTS: Although all possible patterns were observed, a latent Markov model with heterogeneous transitions and five patterns fit the data. The sampling frame and baseline alcohol severity related to pattern. CONCLUSIONS: The data indicate that, although they do change over time, problem drinkers on the whole are more likely either to remain problem drinkers or to cease to be problem drinkers than they are to move into and out of problem-drinking status. Once they transition out of problem drinking, they are more likely to remain nonproblem drinkers.

Asylum grant rates following medical evaluations of maltreatment among political asylum applicants in the United States.

Although many individuals applying for political asylum allege maltreatment and sometimes torture in their countries of origin, the utility of medical evaluations in asylum adjudication has not been documented. This study compares the asylum grant rate among US asylum seekers who received medical evaluations from Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), with rates among asylum seekers who did not receive PHR evaluations. Retrospective analysis was carried out on all asylum cases referred to PHR between 2000 and 2004 for medical evaluations for which adjudication outcome was available. Basic demographic information was obtained: age, sex, country of origin, English language ability, US region where adjudication occurred, whether legal representation was pro bono, type of evaluation, provision of oral court testimony, and whether asylum seekers were in detention. Cases were analyzed descriptively and with chi square tests. Between 2000 and 2004, 1663 asylum seekers received medical evaluations from PHR; the adjudication status (either granted or denied) was determined in 746 cases at the time of the study. Of these cases, 89% were granted asylum, compared to the national average of 37.5% among US asylum seekers who did not receive PHR evaluations. Medical evaluations may be critical in the adjudications of asylum cases when maltreatment is alleged.

Impact of stress reduction instructions on stress and cortisol levels during pregnancy.

This pilot study examined whether giving stress reduction (SR) instructions to pregnant women would be effective in regulating stress, mood, and cortisol levels during pregnancy. Forty-one predominantly low-income Latina women, receiving prenatal services at a public county hospital, completed measures of stress and mood (depressive symptoms, positive and negative affect) and provided morning and evening saliva samples to measure cortisol prior to and after receiving SR instructions. We hypothesized that adherence to these SR instructions would result in lower levels of stress, negative mood states, and cortisol levels when compared to baseline values. Repeated measures ANOVA analyses demonstrated significantly lower levels of stress (P < 0.001), lower symptoms of depression and negative affect (P < 0.001), and lower levels of morning cortisol (P = 0.01) under the SR condition, compared to baseline. Health behaviors that were engaged in during the SR condition and implications for prenatal health interventions are discussed.

Cost and cost-effectiveness of standard methadone maintenance treatment compared to enriched 180-day methadone detoxification.

AIMS: To compare the cost and cost-effectiveness of methadone maintenance treatment and 180-day methadone detoxification enriched with psychosocial services. DESIGN: Randomized controlled study conducted from May 1995 to April 1999. SETTING: Research clinic in an established drug treatment program. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and seventy-nine adults with diagnosed opioid dependence. Intervention Patients were randomized to methadone maintenance (n = 91), which required monthly 1 hour/week of psychosocial therapy during the first 6 months or 180-day detoxification (n = 88), which required 3 hours/week of psychosocial therapy and 14 education sessions during the first 6 months. MEASUREMENTS: Total health-care costs and self-reported injection drug use. A two-state Markov model was used to estimate quality-adjusted years of survival. Findings Methadone maintenance produced significantly greater reductions in illicit opioid use than 180-day detoxification during the last 6 months of treatment. Total health-care costs were greater for maintenance than detoxification treatment ($7564 versus $6687; P < 0.001). Although study costs were significantly higher for methadone maintenance than detoxification patients ($4739 versus $2855, P < 0.001), detoxification patients incurred significantly higher costs for substance abuse and mental health care received outside the study. Methadone maintenance may provide a modest survival advantage compared with detoxification. The cost per life-year gained is $16 967. Sensitivity analysis revealed a cost-effectiveness ratio of less than $20 000 per quality-adjusted life-year over a wide range of modeling assumptions. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with enriched detoxification services, methadone maintenance is more effective than enriched detoxification services with a cost-effectiveness ratio within the range of many accepted medical interventions and may provide a survival advantage. Results provide additional support for the use of sustained methadone therapy as opposed to detoxification for treating opioid addiction.

The role of community services and informal support on five-year drinking trajectories of alcohol dependent and problem drinkers.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine how informal support and community services impact the course of alcohol disorders by examining the trajectories of alcohol consumption over 5 years in dependent and problem drinkers. METHOD: Alcohol dependent adults (n = 600) and problem drinkers (n = 992) were identified through probability surveys in the general population and in public and private treatment programs throughout a California county. Participants were interviewed at baseline and again 1, 3 and 5 years later. Models controlling for demographic characteristics, problem severity, community services and recovery-oriented social networks were estimated, using a multi-level, mixed model to predict alcohol consumption over time. RESULTS: A significant trend of reduced drinking over time was observed for both dependent and problem drinkers. Recovery-oriented social networks and AA participation predicted decreased consumption for both groups. Contacts with medical, mental health, welfare and legal systems were predictive of reduced consumption for problem drinkers. In the dependent group, only contacts with mental health agencies marginally predicted decreased consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Findings point to the importance of developing mechanisms for better identifying problem drinkers in the course of contacts with health and social service systems and for facilitating use of self-help groups and positive changes in social networks. Development of recovery-oriented social networks should be emphasized to extend the benefits of treatment for dependent individuals.