Present or past use of tobacco, alcohol, drugs (prescription and OTC, “street”)

The effects of tobacco, alcohol, or drug use (including prescription, over-the-counter, and “street”) is discussed in the next section. Related to nutritional status, nutrient intake may be inadequate, and nutrient needs may be affected by some drugs. (Kaiser, 2002) If a client recently quit using tobacco or drugs her appetite will generally increase, especially for high calorie comfort foods. See Module 4, Medical Nutrition Therapy for Specific Conditions for more information.