Drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes is a deadly combination. In fact, it is the most preventable cause of death worldwide, according to the World Health Association.
Now a new study from University of Queensland in Australia found that the combination may actually change the structure of cells in a portion of the brain called the nucleus accumbens. The two drugs enhance the addictive qualities of one another, according to Professor Traute Flatscher-Bader.
Dr. Flatscher-Bader analyzed brain tissue from deceased people who had smoked, drank alcohol, or did a combination of the two. The ones who used the combination showed changes in the nucleus accumbens, a pleasure center in the brain.
The study appears in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
Labels: tobacco use, alcohol_abuse
Posted By: Jane St. Clair