probably the biggest trigger of all for smokers is having a drink

In a recent clinical test using a drug called Naltrexone which has regulatory approval for the treatment of dependency on alcohol it was seen that it also had positive benefits in helping people to quit smoking.

The results showed that heavy drinkers who were also smokers not only reduced the amount of drinking that they did over an eight week treatment period but they also were significantly more likely to quit smoking than the drinkers who were taking a placebo. This research is interesting because smokers who drink on a regular basis are known to be particularly 'treatment resistant' when it comes to smoking cessation.

The researchers who were led by Dr. Andrea King from the University of Chicago concluded that naltrexone could be particularly effective in helping the 'drinker/smoker' category of addiction.

Doctor King explained that the research was done on a small group of people and therefore could not be 100 percent conclusive, but should clinical testing be confirmed with a larger sample of individuals then naltrexone may be prescribed to drinkers/smokers who want to quit smoking and especially those who find it most difficult to stop lighting up when drinking.

At Ukmedix News from our research we have seen how many smokers talk about how certain things set them off smoking again. It can be something as simple as having a coffee or meeting with a certain group of friends but probably the biggest trigger of all for smokers is having a drink. A drug therefore that could help people who like to enjoy drinking every now and again but find it almost impossible not to have an accompanying cigarette could have a very useful application with a very large group of smokers.

The research was written up in the clinical journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.