Researchers look into why drinking makes smokers and ex-smokers crave cigarettes more than usual.
Most smokers or former smokers will tell you that the urge to smoke is strongest when one drinks. At times an ex-smoker will not miss smoking at all, but the moment they touch an alcoholic drink, all they crave is a cigarette.
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine say that the culprit is nicotine, which “tricks” the brain into creating memory associations between environmental cues and smoking behavior. The findings of this research appeared in the journal Neuron.
“Our brains normally make these associations between things that support our existence and environmental cues so that we conduct behaviors leading to successful lives. The brain sends a reward signal when we act in a way that contributes to our well being,” said Dr. John A. Dani, professor of neuroscience at BCM and co-author of the study. “However, nicotine commandeers this subconscious learning process in the brain so we begin to behave as though smoking is a positive action.”
Diane Caruana – VapingPost – 2022-07-11
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