Reducing alcohol consumption would facilitate smoking cessation among heavy drinkers. For the scientific community, these results prove that to better fight these two addictions, it is more effective to treat them together.
If you have decided to do Dry January, a challenge that consists of not drinking a drop of alcohol between January 1 and 31, take the opportunity to quit smoking! American research shows that drinking less makes it easier for heavy drinkers to quit smoking. Alcohol modifies the absorption of nicotine by the human body, and reducing its consumption helps with withdrawal. This study, carried out by researchers from the University of Oregon, was published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research.
Nicotine metabolism is not the same for everyone
When a person smokes, it takes time for the body to absorb and process the nicotine. The nicotinic metabolism ratio is a biomarker that determines the rate at which this process takes place. When this ratio is high, individuals smoke more and have more difficulty quitting.
Two closely related dependencies
According to the researchers, for people who consume a lot of alcohol, quitting smoking would be easier if they also reduced their alcohol consumption. The nicotine metabolism ratio of these individuals drops when they drink less. But alcohol and tobacco are linked: most heavy drinkers are also smokers, drinking increases the risk of smoking and vice versa.
“This study shows that daily smoking and heavy alcohol consumption would be better treated if they were treated together,” concludes Sarah Dermody, lead author of the study. They reached these conclusions by following 22 smokers who sought follow-up for alcohol problems. They greatly reduced their alcohol consumption: it went from 29 glasses per week on average to 7, at the same time, their ratio of nicotine metabolism fell.
The cross effects of alcohol and tobacco
In 2015, researchers from the University of Missouri have already highlighted the links between alcohol and tobacco. They had analyzed the urge to smoke in alcohol drinkers. On the one hand, smoking and drinking simultaneously activate the reward system in the brain, doubling the pleasure felt by consumers. But tobacco also has a stimulating effect: when alcohol puts you to sleep, it wakes you up. Alcohol is also associated with festive moments, where other smokers are present, which can be a temptation for people in withdrawal. Quitting smoking often requires several tries, reducing alcohol consumption could increase the chances of success.
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