Alcohol and tobacco are the two most widely abused legal drugs in Jamaica. We often discuss the abuse of these drugs as separate issues without considering their combined effect. What is not generally known is that alcohol consumption combined with tobacco use is especially dangerous.

According to the U.S. National Institute against Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA), between 80 and 95 per cent of alcoholics smoke cigarettes, a rate that is three times higher than that among the American population as a whole. Adolescents who begin smoking are three times more likely to begin using alcohol drinking influences smoking more than smoking influences drinking, smokers are 1.32 times as likely to consume alcohol as are non-smokers.

Hand in glove

Modern science is showing why the combined use of both drugs is so attractive to users and how singly and together they act on the brain. Studies show that either drug increases the feeling of wellness induced by the other. Also, each reduces some warning signs that might lead a smoker or drinker to stop.

Smokers sometimes quit because they begin to experience bad effects such as increased heart rate or 'nervousness'. However, alcohol's sedating effects may mask these effects of nicotine and drive continued smoking. On the other hand, nicotine's stimulating effect can moderate the induced lack of mental alertness that alcohol produces. Both drugs work hand in glove to keep the user addicted.

Double whammy

The use of either drug during pregnancy has adverse effects on mother and foetus. Excessive alcohol use and smoking are risk factors for certain forms of cancer. The risks of cancer of the mouth, throat and the oesophagus are greater when both drugs are used together.

Long-term use of alcohol unleashes some agents in the body that convert the tars from cigarette into cancer-causing chemicals. Alcoholics frequently have deficiencies of zinc and vitamin A, substances that confer some protection against cancer. Nicotine patch therapy for smoking alcoholics may require higher amounts of nicotine than usually applied because alcohol reduces the treatment benefits of the drug. Further, alcohol and tobacco use complicate the use of anti-depressant drugs.

Get help

You now know that whether you are abusing alcohol or tobacco or both, you need help to quit. Your physician will determine how to treat your addictions without endangering your life. You can tell if you have a drinking problem. Take the quick test below; one 'yes' answer means that a problem exists:

Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?

Have people annoyed you by criticising your drinking?

Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?

Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover?

Remember, if you smoke you need help to quit. Get help from your nearest health provider or call the National Council on Drug Abuse's helpline 1-888-991-4244.