Posted on 07/28/2006 7:40:22 PM PDT by elkfersupper
Cigarettes could slash blood-alcohol levels, making smokers drink more.
A new study helps to explain why smokers tend to have boozier nights out than non-smokers. The work, done in rats, shows that a heavy dose of nicotine can cut blood-alcohol levels in half. If cigarettes similarly lower intoxication in people, it could mean that smokers need to drink more than non-smokers to get the same buzz...
To mimic more closely the effect in human drinkers, (Texas A&M researcher Wei-Jung) Chen and his colleagues studied the effects of binge drinking in adult rats. They injected rats' stomachs with a dose of alcohol roughly equivalent to around four or five drinks in quick succession; enough to make their blood alcohol hit double the United States legal driving limit of 0.08%. The team also gave the animals a range of nicotine doses similar to those in the bodies of light, moderate or heavy smokers.
In 'heavy smoking' animals, the nicotine slashed the rats' peak blood-alcohol level, which came about an hour after injection, in half. Blood alcohol of 'moderate smoking' animals dropped by around 30%, and animals mimicking light smokers were not affected. The results are reported in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
Too bad the source paper is pay-per-view.
Have fun, y'all.
Ping.
Heeeere we go!
I told ya not to smoke rats while drinking!
So Kennedy is going to start smoking again?
So if I plan on driving home from the bar, smoking is good?
What I want to know, what scientist dreams up this stuff? "Hey, I know, let's take some rats, get them drunk, try to counter it with nicotine and see what happens!" Who funds this, LOL!
Too tipsy to drive, smoke a "Picayune" (special Louisiana cigarette...known for being very mild) and sober up.
So, if I slap on one those nicotine patches, I can drink twice as much as I could before without getting thrown into the slammer?
And is that a good thing or a bad thing?
So smoking can be a good thing sometimes.
I feel (hiccup) vindicated.
So many smart comebacks, so little time.
Kennedy springs to mind.
Ham and eggs
Biscuits and gravy
Clean sheets and dirty women
Need I go on?
Best. Job. Ever.
Who funds this, LOL?!!!
IMHO, I strongly suspect its you and I!!!
Gosh. Add strong, black coffee and you have all the main food groups in that list...
doesn't suprise me in the slightest.
The Human body knows that Alcohol is a poison and it knows that smoking helps, it means that the more you drink, the more you crave smoking.
I'm Cig free now since June 1. It's nice to be immune to the smoke :)
It's nearly always a good thing.
Stimulates the mind, congregates friends, releases the tensions of the day, stimulates the creative juices.
Look carefully at any truly insightful author, artist or scientist.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.