| Smoking Can Prime the Brain for Later Addiction | | | | to alcohol and potentially other drugs later in life, what |
| An article entitled "Adolescent Smokers Have A | | | | are the consequences? Basically this: teens who |
| Greater Risk Of Developing Alcohol-use Disorders | | | | smoke, no matter how "innocent" the intent, may be |
| Than Nonsmokers" by Richard A. Grucza, and Kevin | | | | inadvertently constructing and following a blueprint that |
| W. Chen revealed research findings that are | | | | leads to the misery, broken relationships, financial ruin, |
| problematic at best. Perhaps the most disturbing was | | | | psychological problems, and the physical diseases that |
| this: research suggests that smoking "primes" the brain | | | | are characteristic of long-tern drug and alcohol abuse. |
| for later addiction to alcohol and perhaps other drugs. | | | | Fifty to Eighty Percent of Alcoholics Smoke |
| When added to the following statistic, this information is | | | | According to another article entitled "Long-term |
| very disconcerting: alcohol and smoking, when | | | | Tobacco Use Associated With Dulled Thinking And |
| considered independently or in combination, account for | | | | Lower IQ, Study Finds," researchers at the University |
| more than 20 percent of the annual fatalities in the | | | | of Michigan found that both smoking and alcoholism |
| United States. | | | | result in diminished thinking ability. The Michigan |
| Alcohol-Use Disorders | | | | researchers also discovered that 50 to 80% of |
| It is common knowledge that many people started | | | | alcoholics smoke. If 50 to 80 percent of alcoholics |
| smoking and drinking when they were teenagers. | | | | smoke, and both smoking and alcoholism negatively |
| According to research findings, moreover, smokers, | | | | impact the brain's higher functions, then most alcoholics |
| especially adolescent smokers, unmistakably have a | | | | are doing a double whammy on their mental |
| greater susceptibility to alcohol-use disorders (AUDs) | | | | proficiency. Pardon the pun, but this is a sobering |
| than do non-smokers. Therefore, the earlier a person | | | | thought, especially when teens and young adults are |
| starts to smoke, the more vulnerable he or she may | | | | the ones who are doing the smoking and the drinking. |
| be to subsequent alcohol abuse, alcoholism, alcohol | | | | Conclusion |
| intoxication, and alcohol withdrawal. | | | | Let us keep in mind that for all intents and purposes |
| Can Teens Quit Smoking Anytime They Choose? | | | | every addict starts out as an occasional user who has |
| Approximately 25 years ago I had a job as a | | | | made an intentional and conscious decision to involve |
| child-care worker and worked with emotionally | | | | himself or herself with a specific substance or activity. |
| handicapped teens. I remember some of the older | | | | As time goes by and as the person continues to |
| patients who were allowed to smoke tell me that they | | | | partake of the substance or activity, however, the |
| could quit smoking anytime they made up their mind to | | | | person makes a transition from being a voluntary to a |
| do so. My response to them, even then, was that this | | | | compulsive user. As a result, and in conjunction with |
| may in fact be true, but the longer they smoke the | | | | the findings from the two studies outlined above, |
| stronger the habit will become. At some point, | | | | people, especially our youth, need to be educated and |
| moreover, the habit will be so compelling that quitting | | | | made aware of the risks and devastation than can |
| smoking will be extremely difficult. The point: many | | | | result from smoking, alcohol abuse, and alcoholism. |
| teenagers who start smoking see this as "no big deal." | | | | Copyright 2007 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved |
| Based on the current research, however, they couldn't | | | | Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article |
| be more incorrect. | | | | as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit |
| A Blueprint for Disease and Devastation | | | | the article in any way, and give the author credit. |
| If smoking does in fact "prime" the brain for addiction | | | | |