In a European study by the University College London, it was found that heavy drinkers are reportedly four times more likely to smoke tobacco.
The sample involved more than 140,000 residents from England. Survey responses were gathered between 2014 and 2021. The results appeared in the Lancet Regional Health—Europe.
“We used cross-sectional data from a monthly, nationally representative survey of adults in England collected between 2014-2021,” according to the study’s authors.
“Smoking and smoking cessation attempt characteristics were regressed on to alcohol dependence (drinkers at risk versus not at risk), adjusting for survey year.”
As many as 58 percent of people at risk of alcoholism were current smokers, the results indicated.
“The high smoking prevalence among those at risk of alcohol dependence has important implications for policy in that to reduce smoking prevalence in England in line with the UK Government’s target of less than 5% by 2030, efforts need to be focused on this group.”
