Smoking Status Among Patients Presenting to a Chronic Pain Clinic: A Retrospective Review from a University-Affiliated Pain Clinic

Background

Tobacco use is a known contributor to poor health outcomes and may influence chronic pain severity and prognosis. Understanding smoking patterns among patients presenting to a chronic pain clinic provides valuable insight into patient risk profiles and opportunities for targeted interventions.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective review of smoking status among all patients presenting to a university-affiliated chronic pain clinic between January 1, 2022, and June 30, 2024. Smoking status was taken from intake documentation within the electronic medical record. Patients were classified based on reported status at the time of intake.

Results

A total of 3,191 patients were included in the analysis. Of these, 2,056 (64.4%) reported never smoking, 749 (23.5%) reported being former smokers, and 234 (7.3%) reported smoking every day. An additional 122 patients (3.8%) reported smoking on some days. Other classifications included 1 (<0.1%) reporting passive smoke exposure, 12 (0.4%) selecting “none of the above,” and 17 (0.5%) with smoking status not assessed or unknown.

Conclusion

In this chronic pain clinic population, nearly one-third of patients reported current or former smoking status, with the majority being never smokers. Given the established links between smoking and adverse pain-related outcomes, these findings support the integration of smoking cessation counseling and tobacco risk reduction strategies into chronic pain management.