Nicotine vs Alcohol Addiction
Nicotine and alcohol are two legal recreational drugs in the US, and they are the two most commonly used substances across the world. Both of these substances have been known to destroy people’s lives and keep them in a cycle of addiction that leads to loss and heartache.
When considering alcohol vs nicotine addiction, it’s easy to find similarities. In fact, there are so many similarities that it’s hard to find differences.
How Common is Alcohol Addiction?
About 80% of people in the States will drink alcohol at some point. Alcohol consumption has been a regular part of American culture for a very long time. For some, they may enjoy a drink on the weekend at home or maybe at a bar.
For nearly 30 million people in the United States, alcohol is a substance they depend on. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a very prevalent disorder and the symptoms of it are often life-threatening.
AUD looks like constant cravings for alcohol, an inability to stop, and needing more alcohol for the same effects.
Effects of Alcohol Addiction
Alcohol addiction can lead to many negative effects on the body. Some of the effects of alcohol addiction include:
- Increased tolerance
- Increased risk of heart disease
- Withdrawal symptoms when trying to stop
- Financial hardship due to spending
Not everyone will experience these effects, but the severity and number of them can indicate the seriousness of AUD.
The health risks of alcohol addiction are just as serious. The most notable health problems associated with alcohol abuse are:
- Liver disease
- High blood pressure
- Learning problems
- A weakened immune system.
These long-term effects can be serious or even deadly.
How Common is Nicotine Addiction?
Nicotine is a naturally occurring element of tobacco. Nicotine itself is an addictive substance that has been used for centuries.
Nicotine is found in all tobacco products like chew, dip, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, and pipe tobacco. If there’s tobacco, there’s nicotine. The most common way nicotine is consumed is by smoking e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes.
Cigarettes have been prevalent for a very long time, but with the recent production of e-cigarettes and vapes, their use is starting to reach an all-time low.
6% of Americans use e-cigarettes or vape daily. This newer form of nicotine is much more prevalent among young people and children. As of 2022, nearly 46% of high schoolers reported daily vaping habits.
Risks of Nicotine Addiction
Smoking is the number one cause of preventable deaths in the U.S. There are a lot of short and long-term health complications caused by nicotine addiction.
- Lung cancer and disease
- Other forms of cancer
- Circulatory system issues
- Heart problems
- Diabetes
- Eye problems
- Impotence and infertility
- Issues during pregnancy
- More prone to short-term infections
- Various mouth diseases
While not all of these are strictly nicotine related, how nicotine is typically ingested can have an effect on what health problems a person might face. For example, a person who smokes is put at more of a risk for lung cancer than a person who chews tobacco.
However, in all of its forms, tobacco products are harmful in one way or another.
Are They Related?
AUD and nicotine addiction are two related substance use disorders (SUD). People who smoke tend to drink alcohol as well. You often see people smoking outside of bars. However, it’s not just the environment that creates a correlation between these two substances.
They Both Affect the Brain’s Reward Center
Both nicotine and alcohol cause the brain to release dopamine, making people who use them feel happy and rewarded. This is a regular part of the brain’s function and it’s used to reward good behaviors so people will do them again.
Although both of these substances increase dopamine production, they have different effects on the body.
Alcohol is known as a depressant. It slows down reaction times, speech, and movement. On the other hand, nicotine is considered a stimulant, but has both depressant and stimulant effects.
When used alongside each other, nicotine can decrease the depressive nature of alcohol. This makes it easier to drink more and can lead to drinking a dangerous amount of alcohol, and an alcohol and nicotine addiction comorbidity.
Use of Nicotine and Alcohol is Usually Comorbid
The NIAAA has found that those with an AUD are much more likely to smoke, and if you smoke, you’re much more likely to drink in excess. Some evidence shows that when used together, there is a high likelihood of becoming addicted to either substance.
Another consideration for the comorbidity of nicotine and alcohol are environmental cues. The location in which you drink or smoke can create associations.
Drinking in an environment where people are also smoking can lead to conditioning. When you smell smoke on the patio every time you have a drink you’ll begin to associate and even crave alcohol when you smell cigarette smoke. This works both ways.
Smoking Decreases the Effects of Alcohol
As mentioned earlier, alcohol decreases people’s cognitive functions. Nicotine, on the other hand, is partly a stimulant. When mixed, the depressant effects of alcohol are lessened and the rewarding effects of nicotine are enhanced.
This doesn’t mean there is less alcohol in your system, it just means the nicotine is allowing your brain to bypass the effects of alcohol.
Mixing these two drugs is dangerous and can lead to people drinking a lot more than they expected.
Treating Alcohol and Cigarette Addictions
Alcohol addiction and nicotine addiction can be treated at the same time. In fact, it’s often preferred. Treating nicotine addiction concurrent to any other SUDs can make recovery better. Both can be treated at the same time, in the same way.
Alcohol and Nicotine Addiction Recovery at Sequoia
These substances are both legal and accepted in our society. This can make understanding and acknowledging an addiction difficult. It seems like every other ad is for smoking or drinking, and that can make it feel like there is no escaping your addiction.
Treatment facilities need to understand the difficulty of treating addictions to widely used substances. The staff at Sequoia Behavioral Health understand the difficult road ahead and want to help. Contact us today if you or a loved one is suffering from either of these two addictions.