Research suggests that people trying to quit drinking experience more cognitive improvements when they simultaneously stop smoking, as well, HealthDay News reported Oct. 24.

Researchers at the University of California at San Francisco studied brain scans of 37 subjects in treatment for alcohol dependence, 12 of whom were smokers. The 25 non-smokers in the study abstained from drinking for six to nine months, while the 12 smokers also abstained from drinking but continued to smoke.

"We found that the smoking alcoholics over six to nine months of abstinence did not recover certain types of brain function as the non-smoking alcoholics did," said study author Dieter Meyerhoff. The researchers assessed various aspects of participants' cognitive functioning like decision-making skills, thinking speed, 3-D visualization and short-term memory.

Addiction treatment programs don't always address nicotine dependence, but recent research shows that about half now do so and encourage smokers to quit.

Experts say that a delay in addressing nicotine addiction could lead to chemical-dependency relapse if smokers try to quit while in early recovery. "The alcoholics have shown that they are willing to change one behavior, namely excessive drinking," Meyerhoff said. "If they are in that mindset, it is a great opportunity for treatment specialists to also convince them of the negative effects of continued chronic smoking."