Is there a realtion ship between cigarette smoking and drug craving? You betcha. People who use and abuse drugs are also very likely to be cigarette smokers. More than 66% of drug abusers are also tobacco smokers, this is a rate almost triple that of the rest of the population. “Breaking a drug habit is hard enough, but it may be harder if you’re a smoker too. New research funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) explores how craving tobacco also increases the urge to use illicit drugs if one already abuses drugs.” This is quoted from an American Psychological Association news release dated February 20th 2000.
The study indicated in the findings that there was a direct connection between tobacco smoking and drug use among drug dependent people, in that the more cigarettes they smoked, the more likely they were to be engaged in their use of illegal drugs. The suggestion was therefore made that nicotine and other substances share a similar brain pathways and reinforce each other’s cravings for each drug.
A very simplistic example I have found useful in explaining this phenomenon to the people that I have worked with is that Addiction is like riding a bus, we can occupy any seat of addiction on the bus be it cigarettes heroin or cocaine. As the bus rolls along we can get up and jump from seat to seat, in fact we can give up one addiction and strike up another, (cross addiction) but that is not the solution. The solution is to get off the bus of addiction.
There are further studies that indicate that if you are currently a cigarette smoker your chances of maintaining sobriety from other mood altering drugs is actually decreased. If you give up your cigarettes, conversely you have a much better chance at maintaining recovery. It is an old wives’ tale and not backed up by clinical evidence, that asking an addict to give up their cigarettes is asking too much of them. After all, nicotine is simply one more mood altering substance that is injurious to your health.There really is a relationship between cigarette smoking and drug craving.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Very true, very tough for people to quit smoking.
Sometimes people just dont want to quit. They have no desire. Man I am getting into this blog, crazy I didnt come across here before. I need my girlfirend to read this stuff, she smokes like a chimney.
I guess they started as smokers and because most drug taking is inhaling via a cigarette it is the next step for them and they did not feel intimidated to try it. At the other end though I would say that when trying to give up he drugs they can use a cigarette as a type of substitute.
I agree with you about the bus analogy, both drugs and cigarettes are the reflection of an addictive personality. However cigarette smoking is a singular addition to compensate for physical, emotional and behavior needs. Drugs are higher up on the scale of intensity. I don’t think cigarette smokers are more likely to use drugs because there is so much more involved, societal acceptance for one. But drug use to cigarettes is actually a step down in addiction and seen as a mild substitute by the user.
I understand. I used to smoke too and the craving is really intense especially if you quit cold turkey. But for me there was no other way. If the mind is willing then the body is willing too.