Smoking and drinking together can have a number of adverse health effects, including:
Cancer
The combination of smoking and drinking can increase the risk of developing cancer in the mouth, throat, and esophagus. Alcohol can make it easier for the body to absorb the carcinogenic chemicals in tobacco smoke.
Cardiovascular disease
Smoking and drinking can increase the risk of stroke and congestive heart failure. They can also increase blood pressure and triglyceride levels.
Inflammation
Smoking and drinking can increase inflammation, which can compound the effects of each habit.
Smoking and drinking are two of the most commonly abused legal substances. Heavy use of one can often lead to heavy use of the other.
A healthy limit for drinking is usually no more than two drinks (3 units of alcohol) a day for men and one drink (2 units) a day for women. Binge drinking is having five or more drinks for men and four or more drinks for women on one occasion.