In a sample of 1,006 middle-aged male smokers drawn from the general
population, 90% (N = 905) fulfilled DSM-III criteria and 36% (N = 362)
fulfilled Fagerstrom's criteria for tobacco dependence. Among the 875 who
had stopped smoking in the past for at least 24 hours, 21% (N = 184)
fulfilled DSM-III criteria and 46% (N = 403) fulfilled the authors' own
criteria for tobacco withdrawal. Concordance of results among the criteria
for diagnosing tobacco dependence and withdrawal was low. These results
suggest that the DSM-III criteria for tobacco dependence are overinclusive
and that there is little consensus among the definitions of tobacco
dependence and withdrawal.
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