For many people, smoking a cigarette and drinking alcohol helps them to unwind and enjoy themselves. While it’s a known fact that smoking and drinking are unhealthy, what may not be known is that smoking can lead to alcoholism.
Scientific studies have confirmed the negative connection between the two bad habits. Neuron, a neuroscience journal, published a study in July showing that nicotine in tobacco increases a person’s desire to drink alcohol. The tobacco and alcoholism study also found that an individual’s stress hormones play a role in linking the tobacco addiction to alcoholism.
Cognitive Functioning and BAC Affected
The findings of a study published in July 2013 in the British Journal of Psychiatry, showed people who smoke and are heavy drinkers have a faster rate of cognitive decline than people who do not drink and smoke. The study followed 4,635 men and 1,838 women, between 45 and 69, over a 10-year-period. The test subjects’ mental processing was examined three times during the study. Those who smoked cigarettes and were heavy drinkers showed a 36 percent rate of decline in their cognitive function, compared to those who did not smoke and were moderate drinkers.
What’s more surprising are studies showing that nicotine can reduce blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) in people who smoke. Lower BAC levels, in turn, cause smokers to drink even more to get the sensation that alcohol brings them. Further, if smokers are drinking more to feel the pleasurable effects of alcohol, not only are they compounding their health problems, they are also risking their lives and the lives of others if they get behind the wheel of a vehicle and drive. What drivers do not know is that driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol sets off a chain of events that becomes an unfortunate part of the holiday season.
The Worst Time of Year for DUIs
Each winter, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) warns motorists to drive sober during the holidays. If there’s one time in the year where there appears to be non-stop celebrations involving alcohol, it’s in December and January. The NHTSA reported that in the month of December 2012 alone, there were 830 people who died due to drunk driving.
The chain of events begin when law enforcement beefs up its presence on the road during holiday highway campaigns. The night of celebration turns into a nightmare for drunk drivers when police catch them and take them off the road. The chain of events continue when drunk drivers are charged with a DUI and have to hire a DUI attorney to represent them in court.
“People mistakenly think that nothing can be done to defend against a DWI charge,” says www.nj-dmv-dwi.com/.The DUI attorney works with his or her client to prepare a defense against the DUI charge. Depending on the circumstances surrounding the arrest, the DUI attorney might challenge the police officer’s conduct or the tests administered by police that determined the driver’s BAC levels. If this is the driver’s first DUI offense, the DUI attorney might work to get the charge reduced and help the client find treatment for alcohol abuse.
Getting caught up in this chain of events can be avoided by recognizing the connection between smoking and alcoholism, by tackling the addictions, and learning how to live a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
Author and artist Molly Pearce writes this post in the hopes of sharing something new with readers about the connection between cigarettes and alcohol. Legal site, www.nj-dmv-dwi.com/, provided her with pertinent information when she was conducting research.
*******It’s a little known fact that smoking cigarettes can increase your tolerance (Lowers your blood alcohol content) and cause you to drink even more alcohol if out for a night of drinking
