23 Mar 2004
Study: Alcohol makes smoking more fun

I can't pass this one up: it brought to mind the tale of the Keep It Simple club in Edmonton. The next thing I'm waiting for is the logical conclusion that could be drawn here: if we ban smoking we'll reduce drunk driving accidents and deaths.

Wasn't it Mark Twain who observed that puritans are busybodies driven by the dread fear that someone, somewhere, is having a good time?

In tests on human volunteers, Duke University Medical Center researchers have found that even small amounts of alcohol boost the pleasurable effects of nicotine, inducing people to smoke more when drinking alcoholic beverages. The findings provide a physiological explanation for the common observation that people smoke more in bars. The findings also explain statistics showing that alcoholics tend to smoke more than non-alcoholics, and that smokers are more likely to be alcoholics.

(link) [Science Blog]

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