News in Brief Neuroscience

Nicotine exposure escalates rats’ desire for alcohol

Nerve cells implicated in coexistence of drinking, smoking problems

Liquor and a cigarette

TWICE THE VICE  Nicotine eases the path to excess drinking, a study in rats suggests.

Knaupe/iStock

By Laura Sanders

- More than 2 years ago

To drive a rat to drink, make it smoke first. Rats dependent on nicotine escalate their drinking more quickly than rats that haven’t been exposed to nicotine, researchers report in the April 15 Journal of Neuroscience.