CO-OCCURRENT USE OF CIGARETTES, ALCOHOL, AND CAFFEINE IN A RETIRED MILITARY POPULATION

Previous studies have linked the use of caffeine, nicotine, and alcoho l to health complications and have also found that the use of these su bstances significantly covary, Given the prevalence of health problems of older adults, it is surprising that no studies to date have examin ed the co-occurrent use of alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine in a senior population. This investigation evaluated the co-occurrent use of ciga rettes, caffeine, and alcohol in a community sample of older Americans . Respondents (1,095 women and 1,371 men) completed a questionnaire ex amining their use of caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. This study repli cated earlier findings that tobacco, caffeine, and alcohol use co-occu r and that there are consistent use patterns for these substances, The results suggest that health organizations could better target service s by prescreening for smoking, alcohol, and caffeine use and possibly targeting smokers and ex-smokers for potentially problematic use patte rns of caffeine and alcohol.