Alcohol abuse by heroin addicts: review of research findings and issues

Although most studies suggest that alcohol abuse by heroin addicts is an important problem, the estimated extent of problem drinking ranges from less than 10 to 50%. The difficulties in assessing the extent of alcohol abuse and comparing results from different studies arise from several methodological issues: the definition of alcohol abuse, population characteristics, type of survey, time frame used, and the reliability and validity of self-reported data. However, data do generally suggest that a reasonable estimate is that at least 20 to 30% of heroin addicts have a past or current drinking problem.