5

Smoking and

alcohol use

CHAPTER OVERVIEW

This chapter examines the prevalence of smoking and

alcohol consumption and evaluates the health

consequences of these behaviours. The history of theories of

addictive behaviours and the shift from a disease model of

addictions to the social learning theory perspective is then

described. The chapter also examines the four stages of

substance use from initiation and maintenance to cessation

and relapse, and discusses these stages in the context of the

different models of addictive behaviours. The chapter

concludes with an examination of a cross-behavioural

perspective on addictive behaviours and an assessment of

the similarities and differences between smoking and

drinking and their relationship to other behaviours.

This chapter covers:

➧ The prevalence of smoking and alcohol consumption

➧ What is an addiction?

➧ What is the 2nd disease concept?

➧ What is the social learning perspective?

➧ The stages of substance use

➧ Initiating and maintaining an addictive behaviour

➧ The cessation of an addictive behaviour

➧ Relapse in smoking and drinking

➧ A cross-addictive behaviour perspective

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