If a beer or a glass of wine makes you want a cigarette, you are far from alone.In 1996, a famous US study by researchers at Purdue University, found that drinking alcohol increases cigarette cravings by more than a third.It’s why so many of Britain’s social smokers - those who claim to partake only occasionally - say they are more likely to indulge after drinking.But just how much damage does a ‘cheeky’ cigarette after a few drinks do to the body?Worryingly, growing evidence suggests that smoking and drinking at the same time could be a deadly combination.In fact, some studies show that doing the two simultaneously - such as on a night out at the pub - could triple the risk of certain cancers.But experts say that there is a solution to the problem - and have also revealed the age at which patients should quit their drinking and smoking and still avoid the majority of the risks.First, it’s important to explain why smoking and drinking together is so dangerous. Model Kate Moss and her friends enjoy a glass of champagne and a cigarette at a 1998 Vogue partyExperts say that smoking is one of the most harmful lifestyle habits.Research shows that life-long smokers live 11 years on average less than non-smokers.Three in five smoking-related deaths will be due to lung cancer – which kills more than 35,000 Britons each year, and is 30 times more likely to strike smokers than non-smokers.Each time cigarette smoke is inhaled, more than 7,000 chemicals – 70 of which are known to directly cause cancer – enter the lungs, damaging DNA.Alcohol, while less deadly than smoking, is also a leading cause of cancer.In fact, the World Health Organization classifies it as a Group 1 carcinogen – the same category as smoking.Researchers have linked to at least seven types of cancer, including breast, bowel, liver, mouth, throat, oesophageal and laryngeal (voice box) cancer. And the more people drink, the greater the risk.In the UK alone, alcohol is estimated to cause around 17,000 cases of cancer every year.