Do Spanish patients drink alcohol while undergoing treatment with benzodiazepines?

In this study, we analyzed patterns of combined benzodiazepines and alcohol use among the Spanish general population over the age of 16 years. The study was based on information from the 1997 Spanish National Household Health Survey. A total of 6,396 persons over 16 years of age, a representative sample of noninstitutionalized Spaniards, were surveyed. One percent of the population are consumers of benzodiazepines and daily drinkers of alcohol; fundamentally, these consumers are men, of whom 15.4% drink alcohol at a high level (>50 units/week). Findings show the frequency of concurrent use of benzodiazepines and alcohol by the Spanish population.