Research & Resources

Researchers used data from a recent clinical trial of the nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine, used to treat alcohol use disorder, to examine its effects on smoking and the association between reductions in alcohol use and smoking. They found that participants smoked less over the trial but that there were no significant differences when compared to the control group. They also found that those who reduced their smoking more, also reduced their drinking more. This paper, “Tobacco use during a clinical trial of mecamylamine for alcohol dependence: Medication effects on smoking and associations with reductions in drinking,” appeared in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. It was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.