Men who drink & smoke are attractive

Not healthy, but attractive. Men who smoke and drink alcohol are seen as attractive by women. Short term attractive that is. How about that? We explain.

If you, as a 'healthy lifestyle man', thought that a spontaneous smile, well-groomed appearance and a nice joke from time to time guarantee success in decorating, then you will be disappointed. At least according to the research 'The Young Male Cigarette and Alcohol Syndrome' by Eveline Vincke. In this, the Belgian communication scientist shows that women are attracted to men who smoke and drink. Note: attractive for a one-night stand, not for a long relationship.

Tough, playful and adventurous

239 women were shown profiles of male non-smokers/drinkers, occasional smokers and drinkers, and heavy smokers/drinkers and were asked to rate whether they saw a short-term or long-term relationship. Occasional smokers/drinkers were more likely than non-smokers/drinkers to be eligible for a one-night stand/short-term relationship.

Why? Because men who smoke and drink are seen as 'tough', because they dare to take risks. After all, they play with their health. This adventure is seen as attractive by women, who feel like an 'adventure'.

All evolutionarily determined

On the other hand, the study among the men showed that the smokers/drinkers were more likely to seek short-term relationships. According to researcher Vincke, tobacco and alcohol are part of an evolutionary-driven short-term mating strategy used by young males. And with success. Source: hln.be.

Waking!

You would think: good news for the smoking and drinking man. Were it not that you run a higher risk of getting seriously ill by both smoking and/or drinking. Nothing new under the sun. But did you also know that smokers generally drink more alcohol than non-smokers. And as a result, alcohol-drinking smokers have an increased risk of cancer. 'Tough', 'playful' and 'adventurous' lose their shine a bit, don't you think?