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A prospective study of the association between smoking and later alcohol drinking in the general population
Majken K Jensen1, Thorkild I A Sørensen, Anne T Andersen
1Copenhagen Centre for Prospective Population Studies, Danish Epidemiology Science Centre at the Institute of Preventive Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Aims:
To address the possible prospective association between smoking habits and risk of later heavy drinking in the adult population.
Design:
Pooled population-based long-term cohort studies with repeated assessments of smoking and alcohol habits.
Setting:
Copenhagen, Denmark.
Participants:
A total of 14,130 non- to moderate drinkers at baseline, who attended re-examination.
Measurements:
Among the non- to moderate drinkers we addressed the relation between smoking habits at first examination and the risk of becoming a heavy and excessive drinker at follow-up.
Findings:
Level of tobacco consumption at first examination predicted an increased risk of becoming a heavy and excessive drinker in a dose-dependent manner. Men who smoked more than 25 g of tobacco per day had adjusted odds ratios of 2.12 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.44-3.11) and 3.95 (95% CI: 1.93-8.95) for becoming heavy and excessive drinkers, compared to participants who had never smoked. Equivalent estimates among women were 1.76 (95% CI: 1.02-3.04) and 2.21 (95% CI: 1.00-4.58), respectively.
Conclusions:
This study suggests that tobacco use is associated quantitatively with later risk of heavier drinking.