There was a reason why it was harder to quit smoking when you enjoyed drinking
Jan 13, 2025
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Recently, Dasarang Central Hospital, which specializes in alcohol designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, identified the smoking status of 200 patients with alcohol use disabilities (155 men and 45 women).
Of the 200 patients surveyed, a total of 70% (140) were smokers. Among them, 77.4% (120 out of 155) of men and 44.4% (20 out of 45) of women smoke. In particular, only 6 out of 55 men aged 65 or older were non-smokers.
As such, it is known that the smoking rate of patients with alcohol use disorder is significantly higher than that of the general public.
`In the case of patients with alcohol use disorder, it is common to enjoy alcohol and cigarettes together,' said Ha Un-sik, director of the Department of Psychiatry at Dasarang Central Hospital."This is a behavior that causes a worse health effect because nicotine, the main component of cigarettes, is a fat-soluble substance, and it dissolves better in the body when drinking alcohol.'
In fact, alcohol is known to promote the absorption of nicotine and various harmful ingredients and weaken the liver's nicotine detoxification function.
Director Ha Woon-sik said, "In a state of drinking with poor judgment and self-control, the desire to smoke is more unbearable than usual"If the rate of nicotine decomposition increases due to drinking, withdrawal can become severe and cause oxygen deficiency as well as smoking volume, which can lead to an emergency." he warned.
When actual alcohol enters the body, the amount of oxygen used in the liver increases to detoxify it.
At this time, smoking not only causes oxygen deficiency, but also promotes the secretion of gastric acid and causes heartburn after drinking.
In addition, if alcohol is frequently encountered in cold seasons such as winter, the possibility of high blood pressure, angina, myocardial infarction, and stroke, as well as depression, increases the risk of death due to decreased serotonin levels.
"As alcohol and cigarettes are highly addictive substances, there is a very high probability of failure with simple will," Director Ha Un-sik said. "If you want to succeed in quitting smoking and quitting drinking as planned for the New Year, it is very important to get help through systematic treatment programs at addiction management centers or specialized hospitals in your area."
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
