Thus, either acute or chronic cross-tolerance effects may exist between smoking and alcohol or some similar interaction that leads to diminished response to alcohol in those who smoke. Alternatively, common genetic mechanisms may lead to the increased probability that a person will become a regular smoker and to reduced propensity for intoxication after a given dose of alcohol. These effects appear to be much stronger in women than in men, consistent with the much stronger association between smoking and alcohol problems in women noted in table 1.
