Alcohol Alert
No. 76: Alcohol and Other Drugs (2008)

Drug and alcohol dependence often go hand in hand. Research shows that people who are dependent on alcohol are much more likely than the general population to use drugs, and people with drug dependence are much more likely to drink alcohol (1). For example, Staines and colleagues (2) found that, of 248 alcoholics seeking treatment, 64 percent met the criteria for a drug use disorder at some point in their lifetime.

Patients with co-occurring alcohol and other drug use disorders also are likely to have more severe dependence-related problems than those without combined disorders—that is, they meet a higher number of diagnostic criteria for each disorder (three out of seven criteria are required to meet the diagnosis of dependence) (3). People with co-occurring alcohol and other drug use disorders are more likely to have psychiatric disorders such as personality, mood, and anxiety disorders; they are more likely to attempt suicide and to suffer health problems (3). People who use both alcohol and drugs also are at risk for dangerous interactions between these substances. For example, a person who uses alcohol with benzodiazepines, whether these drugs are prescribed or taken illegally, is at increased risk of fatal poisoning (3).

This Alcohol Alert features the latest research on alcohol and other drug use disorders, examining the frequency with which these disorders occur and overlap, evidence for common genetic risk factors, and how co-occurring disorders can be most effectively diagnosed and treated.

Read Full Publication (PDF)

_________________________________________________________________________________________