How Alcohol Increases the Effects of Cigarettes

How Alcohol Increases the Effects of Cigarettes Addiction Nicotine Use Print How Alcohol Increases the Effects of Cigarettes By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial policy Buddy T Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on July 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on January 26, 2020 PhotoAlto/Getty Images More in Addiction Nicotine Use After You Quit How to Quit Smoking Nicotine Withdrawal Smoking-Related Diseases The Inside of Cigarettes Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Coping and Recovery As of Dec. 20, 2019, the new legal age limit is 21 years old for purchasing cigarettes, cigars, or any other tobacco products in the U.S. Did you ever wonder why so many of your friends who drink also smoke? Have you ever thought that you had successfully quit smoking, but the next time you had an alcoholic beverage you just had to have a cigarette? Why is it so difficult for drinkers to quit smoking? Alcoholics Smoke More Than Non-Alcoholics We know from statistics and observations that: People smoke more in places where alcohol is servedAlcoholics smoke more than non-alcoholicsSmokers are more likely to be binge drink?? Researchers at the Duke University Medical Center believe they have found one reason why alcohol seems to be so closely linked to smoking.?? Smoking Can Increase Health Risks in Alcoholics Behavioral Link Between Alcohol and Nicotine Epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory evidence clearly indicate a behavioral link between cigarette smoking and alcohol use, said Jed Rose, Ph.D., director of the Duke Nicotine Research Program and co-creator of the nicotine patch. The combined use of cigarettes and alcohol presents health risks  over and above the risks posed by smoking alone, and thus constitutes a serious public health problem which deserves additional research attention. In particular, understanding the pharmacological basis of the interaction between alcohol and nicotine could lead to the development of effective strategies for treating the drugs dual-use, Rose said. Smoking and Drinking Are Often Linked According to researchers:If you have more than five drinks a week, you’re two-and-half times more likely to smoke.Compared to nonsmokers, smokers are three times more likely to drink to excess.Moderate drinkers who smoke have a higher risk of heart, liver, and lung disease than those who only smoke or only drink.?? Nicotine Offsets Alcohols Effects In the past, investigators have speculated about the alcohol-nicotine association. Some research has indicated that it is because nicotine offsets the sedative effects of alcohol. Drinking alcohol can slow reaction times and impair the performance of some visual tasks, but some studies have found that nicotine can counteract these deficits.?? Both Increase Dopamine in the Brain Both alcohol and nicotine increase concentrations of dopamine in the brain, so another theory is using nicotine and alcohol together increases the feeling of pleasure more than using either drug by itself??. Meanwhile, some neurobiological research has produced conflicting information regarding the nicotine-alcohol link. Some have reported that ethanol increases the activity of the brain receptors that respond to nicotine, while others have indicated a dampened response of certain subtypes of the so-called nicotinic receptors in the presence of ethanol, the Duke researchers said. To find out, Roses investigators examined 48 volunteers who were regular smokers and who reported usually drinking at least four alcoholic beverages per week. The participants were served either an alcoholic beverage or a placebo beverage. In one session, the volunteers were given a regular cigarette, but in another session, they were given a nicotine-free cigarette. How Smoking and Drinking Affect the Brain Alcohol Enhances Nicotines Rewarding Effects Compared to those who drank a placebo beverage, those who had alcohol reported that: Alcohol enhanced the rewarding effects of nicotineAlcohol enhanced the calming effects of nicotineNicotine-free cigarettes did not elicit the same response The research suggests that it is nicotine itself, not other aspects of smoking, that is the critical ingredient in producing a positive response in people who drink alcohol.?? Even a Small Amount of Alcohol Effects Nicotine A relatively low dose of alcoholâ€"below that required to induce any measurable euphoriaâ€"was enough to increase participants enjoyment of nicotine significantly, Rose said.?? In light of the current finding, it makes sense that so many people who have quit smoking relapse when they drink. The researchers took the study a step further by giving the participants mecamylamine, a drug known to be a nicotine antagonist. Effects Encourage Combined Use Those participants who reported that alcohol boosted the rewarding effects of nicotine, reported just the opposite effect of mecamylamine. They initially smoked more to try to offset the drugs effect, but overall reported less satisfaction from smoking. Researchers concluded that alcohol enhances rather than antagonizes nicotines effects, which tends to encourage their combined use.?? The finding might help elucidate why those who have quit smoking often relapse while drinking alcohol. Such insights might lead to new smoking cessation methods that take the drugs interaction into account, wrote Rose. Mecamylamine Might Help Smokers Quit Mecamylamine might offer a novel treatment to help smokers who also drink alcohol quit both drugs as mecamylamine has been found to counteract the effects of both nicotine and alcohol, said Rose. Such an approach to smoking cessation would work especially well for drinkers as it would dampen both desires, Rose said. Such methods would be particularly useful for heavy drinkers and people with an addiction to alcohol, Rose added. How Much Alcohol Is Safe to Drink Per Day?