The purpose of this study was to examine the intersection of gambling (across all risk levels) with smoking and alcohol use. The researchers used data from the Smoking and Alcohol Toolkit Study (STS/ATS). Only data from 2,398 adults (18+ years) who were living in Great Britain and completed the survey in October 2022 were included in the analysis. In the overall sample, about 44% gambled in the past year. Among those who reported any gambling activity in the past year, 7% were classified as being at any-risk of harm from gambling. About 0.3% had disordered gambling.
No statistically significant link was found between any risk of harm from gambling and current cigarette smoking or drinking at increasing and higher-risk levels. But compared to those who did not gamble, those who gambled were more likely to smoke (16% vs. 13%) and drink at increasing and higher-risk levels (41% vs. 28%). Weekly gambling spending was higher among those who smoked (£8.09) or drank at increasing and higher-risk levels (£10.74), compared to those who did not smoke (£7.61) or drink at increasing and high-risk levels (£5.26).
