Attitudes toward tobacco-free and cannabis-free policies among residents in permanent supportive housing who use tobacco, cannabis, and other substances

Background Over 60% of permanent supportive housing (PSH) residents smoke cigarettes, and over 50% use cannabis. Co-use of tobacco and cannabis may be linked with other substance use. We explored attitudes toward tobacco-free and cannabis-free policies among PSH residents who smoked cigarettes, co-used tobacco and cannabis, or other substances. Methods Between 2022 and 2024, we recruited 400 PSH residents who smoked cigarettes into a cluster-randomized clinical trial (RCT) of a smoke-free home intervention. Using baseline data from the RCT, we created scores reflecting attitudes toward tobacco-free and cannabis-free policies (higher scores reflect more favorable attitudes). We used linear mixed models to examine multivariable associations of these attitudes with predisposing, enabling, and need factors, as well as with intensity of tobacco and cannabis co-use. Results Participants’ mean age was 54.5 years, 62.7% were male, and 41.8% identified as Black or African American. Of the participants, 64.3% used cannabis, 31.5% used amphetamines, and 27.3% used cocaine in the past 30 days. Cocaine use in the past 30 days was associated with less favorable attitudes toward tobacco-free policies (adjusted β: −0.20, 95% CI: −0.37, −0.04). Compared to light co-users of tobacco and cannabis, heavy co-users of tobacco and cannabis had less favorable attitudes toward tobacco-free policies ( adjusted β : -0.32, 95% CI: −0.56, −0.07) and cannabis-free policies (adjusted β:-0.58; 95% CI: −0.82,-0.35). Conclusions Interventions that address the intensity of tobacco and cannabis co-use, the high levels of indoor co-use of tobacco and cannabis, and co-occurring substance use may increase favorable attitudes towards smoke-free policies in PSH.