Researchers have found evidence that may explain the phenomenon of the smoke-filled barroom.

In a study of regular smokers, the researchers found that consuming alcohol increased the physical craving to smoke. "We've long known that alcohol drinkers smoke more, but this is the first study that actually shows that alcohol physically drives up one's craving to smoke," says Stephen Tiffany, professor of psychological sciences.

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"For smokers, alcohol may provide a double whammy," Tiffany says. That's because the alcohol both serves as a cue to smoke and it also may make it more difficult to resist smoking. He says smokers are highly practiced at their habit, and lighting up when they drink becomes automatic. "Now we know that once they start drinking, their craving to smoke also increases," Tiffany says.

Participants who had been drinking alcohol had cravings significantly above those triggered only by smoking cues in the first session. Those persons who did not consume alcohol showed no similar increase in cravings.

"We did not find evidence that alcohol made people hypersensitive to smoking cues. Instead, consuming alcohol had an additive effect, acting to increase the intensity of the urge that was already present," Tiffany says. 

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