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Rehab News: Smoking may harm alcoholics' recovery

Recovering alcoholics who smoke could be at a disadvantage, with a new study suggesting that their rate of improvement in memory, cognition, and visual and auditory learning is significantly lower than in non-smokers.

A study by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Centre (SFVAMC) analysed 13 non-smoking and 12 actively smoking recovering alcoholics who were participating in substance abuse recovery programmes.

Their neurocognitive abilities were measured after one month of self-reported abstinence from alcohol, and then again after six to nine months.

The researchers found that smokers demonstrated significantly less improvement in cognitive efficiency, working memory, and visual and spatial learning than non-smokers.

Lead author Dr Timothy Durazzo, a research scientist in radiology at the centre, commented: "This suggests that continued smoking during abstinence from alcohol may adversely affect recovery."

The expert suggested that the exposure to noxious compounds in cigarette smoke "might be affecting smokers' recovery".

Although Dr Durazzo admitted that the study had only involved a small number of people, he said that "in terms of addiction, it's been shown that alcohol and nicotine reinforce each other's rewarding properties".

The researcher noted that between 60 and 80 per cent of people who seek alcohol treatment are chronic smokers.

"Alcoholics tend to smoke, and smoking may serve as a potential cue or trigger for the urge to drink. So if you eliminate a trigger for alcohol craving, you may have a better chance of staying sober," he added.

The study is published in the July 2007 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.