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Alcohol And Marijuana: The Prevalent Combination

Despite the high prevalence of both alcohol and illegal substance use, little research has been conducted on concurrent and simultaneous use of alcohol and drugs. Concurrent use is defined as the use of alcohol and other drugs during the same time period, while simultaneous use is the use of alcohol and other drugs at the same time.

Using data from the 2000 National Alcohol Survey, researchers looked at the prevalence of concurrent and simultaneous use of alcohol with marijuana, cocaine/crack, uppers, downers, heroin/opiates, hallucinogens, and painkillers in the general U.S. population. Researchers also examined the role of gender, age, ethnicity, income, educational level, and marital/relationship status in concurrent and simultaneous alcohol and drug use. Furthermore, researchers wanted to learn whether concurrent or simultaneous users differ from drinkers who do not also use drugs in terms of alcohol-related problems, alcohol dependence, and depression.

The data were gathered from telephone interviews with 7,612 respondents from all 50 states and Washington D.C. Analyses revealed that approximately 10% of current drinkers also reported using marijuana in the past 12 months. Simultaneous use was reported by 7%, and 3.3% used marijuana and alcohol during the same time period (concurrent use). The prevalence rates for simultaneous use of alcohol with marijuana were much higher than those of alcohol with other drugs. Only 1.7% of current drinkers reported using alcohol and other drugs simultaneously.

The study revealed that being younger, having less than a high school education, not having a regular partner, and having heavier drinking patterns were associated with simultaneous use of marijuana and alcohol. Unsurprisingly, the simultaneous use of other drugs and alcohol was significantly associated with adverse social consequences, alcohol dependence, and depression.

These findings underscore the need for prevention and treatment programs targeting both alcohol and drug use. Prevention programs, particularly those for adolescents, should focus on motivational and environmental factors surrounding polydrug use.

(Midanik, LT, Tam, TW, Weisner, C: Concurrent and simultaneous drug and alcohol use: Results of the 2000 National Alcohol Survey. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 90: 72–80, 2007.)

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