The affinity for sweet substances and cigarette smoking in chronic alcoholism

The purpose of the present study was to examine the possible relationship between the consumption of alcohol and the smoking of cigarettes and the intake of sweet tasting substances in a group of in-patient chronic alcoholics residing in the Israeli governmental treatment center. Patients were interviewed regarding their alcohol intake, cigarette use and consumption of sweetened substances prior to entry to the center. No relationship between alcohol consumption and intake of sweetened substances or between alcohol intake and cigarette smoking was observed for the total sample. However, high alcohol consumption did have a significant correlation with cigarette smoking but not with the consumption of sweets. In contrast, low alcohol consumption had a significant relationship with consumption of sweets but not with cigarette smoking. In addition, a sub-group with an apparent family history of alcoholism had a significant correlation between alcohol intake and smoking but not sweets consumption. The data argue against a common central substrate mediating all three consummatory behaviors. The phenomena examined in the present study seem to be behavioral and motivational in nature rather than reflecting the effects of a direct biological mechanism.