SMOKING AND COFFEE INTAKE FOLLOWING ALCOHOL-WITHDRAWAL IN ALCOHOLIC INPATIENTS

The aim of this study was to assess alcoholic inpatients' smoking and coffee intake variation following withdrawal. Only moderate smokers (l ess than 30 cigarettes/day) showed a significant increase of cigarette consumption after alcohol withdrawal. However, their urinary cotinine level did not vary, suggesting a behavioral, and not biological, comp ensation through smoking following alcohol withdrawal. Heavy smokers ( 30 cigarettes/day or more) showed no significant clinical or biologica l variation of smoking behavior. Coffee consumption increased after al cohol withdrawal in all patients, irrespective of smoking habits.