I believe they are related. I had quit smoking for 1 1/2 years until I started hanging out at the bar with my sister. It just goes together, a drink in one hand, a smoke in the other. I felt bad about bumming smokes from my sister, so I bought a pack to smoke when I went out with her. One thing led to another, then I was on my break at work and said to myself, "well, I'm on a break, I think its OK to smoke", now I'm back to a pack a day!
For drinkers who smoke, there is a direct connection. But I also know of drinkers who abhor smoke and some smokers who shy away from alcohol. So I guess there is not direct connection of the 2 vices.
I pretty much never think about smoking...that is until I have a drink in my hand. I don't know why i feel the need to smoke when I am drinking, but I really don't like it.
I have had many girlfriends I went to the bars with that would often pick up a pack of cigarettes on the way to the bar even though they were not in fact smokers and they would smoke about five over the course of the night or they would light them and just hold them but not really smoke as weird as that is!
I have definitely tried just holding the cigarette in my hand on not smoking it. I don't have the willpower not to smoke it. Especially after I've had a couple.
To be honest, I don't think it's really about making the taste any better, it's about following the crowd of sheep. Many people started doing the same, and those other people who have at least one of those habits start doing the other one, too... it really doesn't have anything to do with how the taste is whatsoever.
So you are saying that it is some sort of social peer pressure situation rather than the fact that they like to do it?
Pretty much, yeah. But again it varies from person to person, it's really not something that could be defined on a broad way. Most get socially pressured, but some also take it just because they enjoy doing both at the same time. It really depends, as I said before.
It's never been about following the crowd or peer pressure for me. It's just something that I turn to when I want to relax, particularly after a stressful day/ week. I wish I could use the "excuse" of peer pressure, but I've always been my own person and not one to follow the crowd. Many of my friends were into drugs growing up and luckily, I couldn't stand drugs. I have to keep reminding my self, though, that nicotine IS, in fact, a drug.
I used to have a friend who could not drink without a cigarette. It is just a habit that many attribute to their privacy i.e that is the only time they can smoke since they do not want to smoke on the way or at home.
This was a big problem for me and everyone I know who has given up smoking. It's not peer pressure or social situations or anything like that in my opinion (or for me). My brother-in-law gave up smoking several years ago and goes without no problem... until he has a drink. Drinking alcohol seems to make you crave it again and it's true that once you've had a drink, having a cigarette not only helps sober you up a bit but also makes the next drink go down a lot easier. He said to me a few days ago, if he hasn't been drinking then cigarette smoke on another person smells horrible but then when he's had a drink, he might smell cigarette smoke and think it smells nice and that he could do with a cigarette. It just seems to make the drink go down easier whilst lessening the effect of the alcohol to an extent.
Like some posts already stated, I think a major factor is the fact that both are legal and cause some sort of psychological need. A drinker and a smoker most likely has something they want to feel (or not feel) which is why they do both, and get some kind of combined reaction. It's a vicious cycle really.
It really depends on the person if they're also prone or fond of drinking. My bro is a smoker since high school, but he doesn't drink, he only smokes. However, if the person is both fond of drinking and smoking, then you can be assured that they would drink and smoke simultaneously.
I think it was a social thing that many person just tried to feel 'cool' and it just turned into an addiction that is of course deadly over time. Smoking causes lung cancer and drinking causes liver damage and also lapse in judgement that can result in a fatal end.
YES!! It gets easier to smoke while drinking. Alcohol somehow trigger your senses to smoke especially when one of your drink buddies is smoking too. I remembered what my friend told me when I asked him why he smokes a lot when drinking and his only answer was "Because it feels good". It is deadly but we really can't change people's lifestyle by forcing them to change.
You are right actually. There is something in the alcohol that makes a person want to smoke cigarettes. I am really sensitive and noticed this markedly. I am not nor have I ever been a smoker per say, but when I drink alcohol somehow the notion just comes. Years ago when I did drink, the more I drank the more I wanted a cigarette. I ended up closet smoking cause I thought it was wrong anyway; but the urge was there. So I agree.
I feel like this is the dynamic duo. I mean put the two together and a person may just kill themselves. I mean its probably the fastest way to develope high blood pressure or liver damage or both. Not to mention the damage done on the lungs. One thing I notice about addictions is that when a person tries to stop using one thing, they usually start using something else but to use them both at the same time is insane!!
Because smoking and drinking often go together, smoking can lead to a stronger craving for alcohol. So quitting smoking during or right after treatment for alcoholism can actually increase your chances of staying sober. I think most of people who are in recovery from alcohol are also smokers.