Why Smoking Bans help reduce Binge Drinking
Smoking tobacco has numerous health risks, but rarely do you hear about how smoking impacts the amount of alcohol a person drinks. Reuters recently reported on a study that appeared in the scientific journal, Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, which found casual smokers are most likely to have problems with alcohol.
Why is it that casual smokers are the most likely binge drinkers? According to the article, casual smokers don’t have a hard habit of smoking – in fact, they most often smoke while drinking in bars and other social hotspots. Nicotine is a potent and addictive drug, and it’s commonly thought to increase the “kick,” or the effects, of alcohol. It’s in this environment that binge drinking appears to thrive.
The researchers took a look at the states that have passed anti-smoking laws and they found a positive correlation between the smoking bands and a reduction in the amount of alcohol consumed in bars. The study’s reception has been positive, thus far. Dr. Saul Schiffman of the University of Pittsburg (who was independent of the research conducted) was quoted in the news piece:
“By removing the link between smoking and drinking, smoking bans ‘may also disrupt developmental trajectories toward problem drinking and heavy smoking, and thereby yield a long-term public health benefits as well.’"
Related Posts
Some moms resume substance abuse after their baby’s bornSome moms resume substance abuse after their baby's born
Eight Months in… Still Growing Stronger
