It’s not uncommon for a smoker to drink and drinker to smoke. The two habits tend to go hand in hand. According to statistics 80 to 95% of alcoholics also smoke cigarettes. So why do they go together?
One theory:
“There are many theories of why smoking and alcoholism go together,” said John R. Hughes, professor of psychiatry at the University of Vermont and lead author of the study. “Some studies suggest that the same genes that predispose people to alcoholism also predispose them to smoking. Some have thought there is an ‘addictive personality’ that becomes addicted to many things, but research suggests this is not so.”
Another possibility:
Another idea is that since smoking stimulates the body and alcohol relaxes it, both are needed to create a sense of balance or normalcy.
Two dangerous addictions:
The study points out that cigarettes kill more alcoholics than drinking does. It’s a concept that has not been well studied, according to researchers.
“Research attention has been minor until recently,” acknowledged Kenneth A. Perkins, professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “Many in the alcohol field did not feel smoking was an important problem for alcoholics, that maintaining sobriety was the critical factor. Most studies in the smoking field would exclude those with current or past alcohol dependence. Furthermore, funding has typically come from different agencies – one for alcohol, another for smoking/nicotine – which allowed studies of alcohol and smoking to fall through the cracks.”
Smoking aids can help:
For those struggling to put down the cigarettes, an FDA approved medication may help. Zyban can be taken while a person is trying to quit smoking and helps a person wean themselves off cigarettes without the use of nicotine. Research shows this medication can help smokers quick the habit more efficiently than a patch or trying to quit cold turkey.
You can always try the 7-step Quit Smoking Program that we outlined last week on a previous post… Worth a read, if you really want to quit for good.
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