Smoking may worsen hangovers

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PROVIDENCE, R.I., Dec. 26 (UPI) -- A study of college students found those who smoked while drinking were more likely to report hangover symptoms after heavy drinking, U.S. researchers say.

The study, scheduled to be published in the January issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, also found about one-quarter of people who drink enough to spur a hangover in most didn't actually develop one, and while no one is sure what that is, the study suggests smoking may be a factor.

"At the same number of drinks, people who smoked more that day were more likely to have a hangover and have more intense hangovers," Damaris J. Rohsenow, of the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at Brown University in Providence, R.I., said in a statement.

The findings were based on a survey of 113 college students who recorded their drinking and smoking habits, and any hangover symptoms, every day for eight weeks.

The study found overall when students drank heavily -- the equivalent of five or six cans of beer in about an hour -- those who'd smoked more on that same day had higher odds of suffering a hangover the next morning and suffered more when they did.

The findings suggested if smokers plan to indulge in heavy alcohol use, it would be wise to cut down on cigarettes, Rohsenow said.