Adolescent smokers have a 50-percent greater risk of developing an alcohol-use disorder than nonsmokers, leading researchers to speculate that smoking may make the young brain more susceptible to other addictions.

HealthDay News reported Nov. 29 that researchers examined survey data on smoking and drinking among about 75,000 12- to 20-year-olds. "The younger they start smoking, the more their brains appear to be more susceptible to other addictions," said study co-author Richard Grucza of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Notably, Grucza and colleagues found that young smokers were more likely to develop alcohol-related disorders even when they drank the same amount as nonsmokers. For example, 20 percent of 15- to 17-year-old smokers who consumed less than 8 drinks per month had an alcohol problem, compared to 5 percent of nonsmokers.

"Everybody knows that smokers, especially in adolescence, have a higher likelihood of alcohol problems and dependence," Grucza said. "We wanted to see if that was solely attributable to the fact that they drink more than nonsmokers do, or if the story was more complicated."

"We're going to look further to see if it's a true cause-and-effect relationship," he added. "Even if it's not, then seeing who smokes can help us identify who's at risk for alcoholism and other addictions."

The study was published in the December 2006 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.