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Polysubstance use among alcoholics.

G L Staines1, S Magura, J Foote

  • 1National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., New York, NY 10010, USA. glstaines@aol.com

Journal of Addictive Diseases
|January 5, 2002
PubMed
Summary
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Many individuals with alcoholism also use illicit drugs, with 64% diagnosed with co-occurring dependence. Drug use is common, with users often drinking and using drugs simultaneously, rating drug problems as more severe.

Area of Science:

  • Addiction Medicine
  • Psychiatry
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Alcoholism frequently co-occurs with other substance use disorders.
  • Limited systematic research exists on the patterns and severity of polysubstance use in alcohol-dependent individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the drug use comorbidity in individuals with alcoholism.
  • To examine the relationship between alcohol and drug use patterns.
  • To assess the relative severity of alcohol- versus drug-related problems and the validity of self-reported illicit drug use.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized an expanded Time-line Follow-Back (TLFB) interview with 248 treatment-seeking alcoholics.
  • Collected data on frequency and quantity of alcohol and drug use.
  • Validated self-reported substance use with biological specimens (urine and hair).

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Main Results:

  • 64% of participants had a lifetime diagnosis of combined alcohol and drug dependence/abuse.
  • 68% reported recent drug use (cocaine, heroin, cannabis).
  • Simultaneous alcohol and drug use was common, with users rating drug problems as more severe.

Conclusions:

  • Polysubstance use is highly prevalent among individuals seeking treatment for alcoholism.
  • Illicit drug use is common and often occurs concurrently with alcohol consumption.
  • Self-reported drug use requires validation due to potential under-reporting, especially for shorter recall periods.