RT Journal
A1 Oeltmann JE, Kammerer J, Pevzner ES, Moonan PK
T1 TUberculosis and substance abuse—reply
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 2009
FD July 13
VO 169
IS 13
SP 1241
OP 1247
DO 10.1001/archinternmed.2009.184
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2009.184
AB 
Dr Rastegar correctly noted that smoking has been associated with tuberculosis in countries other than the United States and that smoking is more prevalent among persons with substance abuse disorders than the general population. To our knowledge, the association between smoking and tuberculosis has not been confirmed in the United States in population-based studies. Nevertheless, we agree that such an association is likely and deserves investigation. Unfortunately, we were not able to include smoking in our current analysis because data on smoking behaviors are not captured by the National Tuberculosis Surveillance System of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.