THE EFFECT OF ALCOHOL-CONSUMPTION ON CRAVING TO SMOKE

This research investigated the effect of alcohol consumption on smoker s' general levels of craving for cigarettes and their reactivity to sm oking-related cues. Cue reactivity was evaluated across multiple trial s of exposure to both imaginal and in vivo presentations of smoking an d non-smoking stimuli. On imagery trials, subjects imagined either smo king and non-smoking scenarios; during in vivo trials subjects watched an experimenter either smoke a cigarette or drink water. Measures inc luded self-reported craving to smoke and selected somatovisceral respo nses. Subjects (n = 60) completed two sessions, the first examined cue reactivity in the absence of alcohol. In Session 2 subjects were told they were consuming alcohol; half received placebo and the other half were given ethanol (0.75 ml/kg). Following beverage consumption, subj ects were exposed to the cue manipulation. In both sessions, exposure to smoking stimuli enhanced craving in each presentation mode and incr eased skirt conductance levels in the in vivo mode. Alcohol intoxicati on produced a generalized increase in craving but did not selectively enhance craving or physiological reactivity to smoking stimuli. The re sults are discussed in terms of models of craving and processes throug h which alcohol may influence craving to smoke.