Abstinence

Abstinence is the sustained, deliberate avoidance of a substance such as alcohol, tobacco, cannabis or opioids, and is the most common outcome measured in addiction research.

In clinical settings abstinence is defined over a stated period, for example continuous abstinence for the final four weeks of a trial or point-prevalence abstinence over the past seven days, and it is usually confirmed with biological markers such as breath carbon monoxide, urine drug screens or blood tests rather than self-report alone. Early abstinence often brings withdrawal symptoms whose type and timing depend on the substance, followed by a longer period in which cravings triggered by stress or familiar cues raise the risk of return to use.

Abstinence is one goal among several in substance use treatment; harm reduction and reduced use are alternatives that many programs also track. Support includes behavioral therapy, peer groups, and approved medications for alcohol, tobacco and opioid use disorders. Cannabinoids have been studied as candidate aids to abstinence from several substances, mostly in small early trials, and none has an approved use for this purpose.