People who smoke cigarettes are more likely to have a harder time quitting their vice if they are also heavy alcohol drinkers. This is because alcohol dependence makes people process the nicotine in their bodies faster.
According to the study published on Drug and Alcohol Dependence in April, a faster nicotine metabolism means it's more difficult for smokers to quit cigarettes, Reuters reported. With higher nicotine metabolism, a person clears the addictive alkaloid from their body quicker than the regular rate. This makes them reach for another stick of cigarette faster.
Back in 2011 and 2012, it was found that 22 white male smokers who are having their alcoholism treated have slower nicotine metabolism. Researchers found that the men's nicotine metabolism slowed down by half after seven weeks of receiving treatment for alcohol addiction.
Almost 35 million of smokers want to quit their habits annually, but more than 85 percent fail to do so and commonly relapse within a week, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reported. Nicotine stimulates the brain's reward pathways and regulates pleasurable feelings experienced by those who smoke cigarettes.
When smokers attempt to quit, they experience nicotine withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, attention and cognitive deficiency, irritability, depression, sleep difficulties and a bigger appetite. Some recommendations to replace nicotine are gum, patches and inhalers to aid in decreasing the symptoms of withdrawal.
Tax Increase Aims To Lower Smoking Rates
A new tax hike in Australia aims to decrease smoking rates. The policy put a 12.5 percent increase on cigarettes for four years, which means a pack will cost around $40 come 2020, ABC Online reported.
A pack of cigarettes costs $25 to $30 in Australia at the moment. Six years ago, a pack of cigarettes can be purchased for only $15. Sanchia Aranda, the chief executive officer for the Cancer Council of Australia, said they expect around 320,000 smokers to quit their vices and 40,000 teenagers to be discouraged from starting smoking due to the tax hike.
Women Who Drink And Smoke Have High Risks Of Developing Asthma
In April, a study published in the journal BMJ Open Respiratory Research found that underweight or obese women who smoke and drink often have higher chances of developing asthma, WebMD reported. Underweight or obese women are also two to three times more susceptible to wheezing, a high-pitched whistling sound that is most evident when exhaling.
People with asthma have trouble moving air in and out of their lungs due to their inflamed airways or bronchial tubes. Asthma is incurable, but it can be controlled if you consult with an allergist/immunologist about proper treatment plans, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
