Alcohol use as a signal for sensitivity to nicotine dependence among recent onset smokers

ObjectiveThis study evaluated the association between alcohol use, abuse and dependence and cigarette smoking to determine whether alcohol may signal greater sensitivity to nicotine dependence at very low levels of smoking.MethodData were drawn from five annual National Surveys on Drug Use and Health and included individuals age 12 to 21 who reported first exposure to smoking within the past two years and smoking at least once in the past month.ResultsBoth alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence were associated with increased likelihood of symptoms that seem to tap tolerance for nicotine. These included items such as “the amount you smoke has increased”; “needing to smoke a lot more now in order to be satisfied”; and “smoking much more before starting to feel anything”. Alcohol dependence, but not abuse was associated with the remaining symptoms, “after not smoking for a while, needing to smoke to feel less restless and irritable”; “craving cigarettes after not smoking for a while”; and “worrying about running out of cigarettes”. All associations were not better accounted for by either alcohol use or amount smoked.ConclusionIf causally associated, treatment of alcohol-use disorders may prevent or reduce the early emergence of nicotine dependence symptoms among new smokers, very early in the smoking uptake process. If instead alcohol disorders are a signal of sensitivity for nicotine dependence best accounted for by a third variable, then adolescents with alcohol dependence and/or abuse during early exposures to smoking represents an important subgroup that may benefit from interventions directly targeting this association.

Research Highlights
► Both alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence were associated with increased likelihood of symptoms that seem to tap tolerance for nicotine.
► Alcohol abuse and dependence associated with a higher likelihood of nicotine dependence symptoms across levels of smoking.
► Alcohol abuse and dependence serves as signals for enhanced sensitivity to nicotine dependence above and beyond both amount of smoking and alcohol use.