Being a stepfather can be difficult. You can love your stepchildren as if they were your own, but you might still struggle with exercising authority and getting them to respect you. This struggle can grow increasingly difficult if you are dealing with a teen who is smoking and using alcohol.
Problems with Mixing Alcohol & Nicotine
People have been smoking and drinking together for centuries. Recent research suggests the two may be a dangerous combination. The study was published by the Journal of Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research. It can also be found on the website of attorney Evan Levow.
The study found smoking cigarettes while drinking actually helps the drinker consume more alcohol without reaching a dysfunctional level of intoxication.
It may seem most likely the stimulating nature of cigarettes simply makes a person feel less drunk. The study suggests nicotine actually has the power to reduce the level of alcohol in the blood by as much as 52 percent.
This is likely due to the nicotine’s ability to slow digestion and cut the speed in which alcohol passes into the bloodstream.
Dangers of a Lighter Buzz
At first glance, nicotine’s ability to slow alcohol absorption may seem like a good thing, but unfortunately, it isn’t often the case. When teens set out to drink, they are most likely looking to get drunk.
If the cigarettes they smoke keep them sober longer, they could begin to drink even more alcohol to reach the buzz they are after. This could potentially lead to liver damage, alcohol poisoning and even death.
Young people are usually more vulnerable to peer pressure and more likely to find themselves in situations where binge drinking is occurring, making them highly susceptible to these dangers. Also, people who begin drinking earlier in life also have a higher chance of developing serious liver problems when they are older.
Problems Down the Road
Another study, carried out at Baylor University in Texas, has shown the use of nicotine in adolescent lab animals can lead to worsened negative effects from alcohol withdrawal later in life. Nicotine changes the adolescent brain and creates an increased sensitivity to this type of withdrawal in adulthood.
Strangely enough, this effect was not observed when the lab animals used both alcohol and nicotine. Those who were exposed to the nicotine alone showed the worst alcohol-related withdrawal symptoms, while those who were exposed to both did not.
These effects were never observed in adult animals, suggesting the adolescent brain is particularly vulnerable to drug use and introducing such toxins at that time may create permanent changes.
If you’re raising a teen who is struggling with smoking and drinking, don’t hesitate to get help today. You don’t want to wait until it’s too late and your teen is hit with DUI charges or worse a serious illness. Smoking and getting drunk doesn’t benefit anyone. The better influence you can be on your teen, the less likely he or she will want to take part in these activities.
As a parent, Bethany Gillis contributes this information in hopes it will prove helpful to parents of teens who are struggling with nicotine and alcohol addictions. She believes properly informed parents are better enabled to successfully educate their teens on the dangers of such addictions. The website of attorney Evan Levow has more professional insight about the discussed dangers and more.
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