Tobacco chippers show robust increases in smoking urge after alcohol consumption.

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVE

AND RATIONALE:
Heavy social drinkers often engage in occasional cigarette smoking, especially in the context of consuming large quantities of alcohol. The current study assessed alcohol's effects on smoking urge as a function of alcohol dose and time course in tobacco chippers with heavy social drinking patterns.

METHOD:
The study assessed 39 chippers who underwent three separate evening sessions. Each subject received a placebo (1% volume alcohol as a taste mask), a low alcohol dose (two to three drinks equivalent), and a high alcohol dose (four to five drinks equivalent) in random order. No smoking was permitted during the sessions and the participants were abstinent from smoking for at least 3 h before arrival. Throughout the session, cigarette craving was assessed by the Brief Questionnaire of Smoking Urges and alcohol response was assessed by the Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale (BAES).

RESULTS:
The results showed that alcohol significantly increased cigarette craving in a dose-dependent manner (p<0.001). At the high alcohol dose, craving was heightened during the rising portion of the blood alcohol curve (BAC). There was a strong relationship between BAC and craving for positive reinforcement and this relationship was partially mediated by BAES stimulation, but not sedation.

CONCLUSIONS:
The findings show that alcohol directly increases smoking urge in chipper smokers. Tobacco chippers may crave cigarettes more during heavier than during lighter drinking bouts, and this effect appears to be driven by heightened stimulation levels rather than as a means to offset alcohol's sedative effects.

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Author information

Author/s: Epstein, Alyssa M (AM); Sher, Tamara G (TG); Young, Michael A (MA); King, Andrea C (AC);

Affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, USA.

Grants: F31-AA15017 (Agency:NIAAA NIH HHS) ; M01-RR00055 (Agency:NCRR NIH HHS) ; R01-AA013746 (Agency:NIAAA NIH HHS) ; R03-AA015337 (Agency:NIAAA NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Randomized Controlled Trial; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Journal: Psychopharmacology (Psychopharmacology (Berl)), published in Germany. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Feb; vol 190 (issue 3) : pp 321-9

Dates: Created 2007/01/23; Completed 2007/06/18; Revised 2007/12/03;

PMID: 16804691, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult
Alcohol Drinking - physiopathology; psychology
Behavior - drug effects; physiology
Cues
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Ethanol - administration & dosage; blood; pharmacokinetics
Female
Humans

Humans
Male
Models, Psychological
Psychopharmacology - methods
Questionnaires
Reinforcement (Psychology)
Smoking - physiopathology; psychology
Tobacco Use Disorder - physiopathology; psychology

Associated Chemicals: Ethanol (64-17-5)

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