The coffee pot and the cigarette remain prevalent symbols in the 12-Step recovery moment, although some theorize that use of cigarettes may pose a risk to recovery outcomes for members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), HealthDay News reported July 18.

The survey of 289 AA members found that nearly 90 percent drink coffee and about 60 percent smoke cigarettes. The smokers in AA, more than 60 percent of whom considered themselves highly dependent on cigarettes, reported that their use helped diminish negative feelings, but some researchers say this actually could contribute to a resumption of drinking for members of this group.

"My prediction would be that the relapse rate among smokers is higher," said Selena Bartlett, the Sidney R. Baer Jr. Foundation Investigator at the University of California, San Francisco's Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center.

The survey, conducted by a research team led by Peter R. Martin of the Vanderbilt Addiction Center, found that one-third of the coffee drinkers in the AA sample drank more than four cups a day. Most of the coffee drinkers said that coffee made them feel better and helped them concentrate.

Martin said it is still unknown whether drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes play a specific role in recovery. Bartlett believes the reliance on cigarettes by many recovering alcoholics has a biological basis and may increase the threat of relapse. "But we don't know how nicotine and alcohol react to keep each other going," Bartlett said.

Bartlett is currently researching whether the smoking cessation medication Chantix could play a role in both alcohol and nicotine addiction, offering the potential of treating both problems in tandem.

The research will be published in the October issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.