New research has found that heavy drinkers who are trying to stop smoking may find that reducing their alcohol use can also help them quit their daily smoking habit. Heavy drinkers' nicotine metabolite ratio-- a biomarker that indicates how quickly a person's body metabolizes nicotine-- reduced as they cut back on their drinking. Past research has suggested that people with higher nicotine metabolism ratios are likely to smoke more and that people with higher rates have a harder time quitting.
Slowing a person's nicotine metabolism rate through reduced drinking could provide an edge when trying to stop smoking, which is known to be a difficult task, said an assistant professor at Oregon State University and the study's lead author. "It takes a lot of determination to quit smoking, often several attempts," professor said. "This research suggests that drinking is changing the nicotine…
