In a study of the relationship between smoking and hypertension, it was found that there was a significant difference in the prevalence of hypertension between smokers and nonsmokers. After smoking a cigarette sometimes the systolic blood pressure can increase by 10-20 mmHg and the heart rate can increase by 5-20 beats per minute. The nicotine in cigarettes can excite the vasomotor center and cause small arteries to contract, which increases peripheral resistance and leads to higher blood pressure. Long-term heavy smoking can cause continuous constriction of small arteries, and after a long time, the walls of small arteries become thickened and gradually harden. This in turn adds to the increase in blood pressure. Nicotine can also increase adrenaline secretion, which can also cause small arteries to constrict and raise blood pressure. Therefore, the ban on smoking is beneficial in preventing the development of hypertension. The relationship between alcohol consumption and the incidence of hypertension has not been established. It has been reported that although small amounts of alcohol consumption have no acute effect on blood pressure, systolic and diastolic blood pressure are more or less linearly related to daily alcohol consumption. It has also been suggested that hypertension is associated with heavy alcohol consumption and that the mechanism by which alcohol raises blood pressure is unclear. Recent reports suggest that blood pressure drops in hypertensive alcoholics after detoxification and remains in the normal range in most individuals during a 6-12 month follow-up period of abstinence, but most people who resume drinking have their blood pressure rise back up to hypertensive levels. In many populations, heavy alcohol consumption is considered a risk factor and should be avoided.