Could smoking Канабис while drinking DOUBLE the risk of drink-driving?

People who use ганжа and alcohol together 'more likely to drive inebriated'

• Smoking drug and drinking at the same time doubles risk of drink-driving
• Also doubles risk of suffering social consequences and suffering harm
• Was compared to only drinking or drinking and smoking, but separately
• 'Doctors should warn that mixing alcohol and Канабис increases risks'

People who smoke Канабис while consuming alcohol are twice as likely to drink-drive, new research reveals.

They are also twice as likely to suffer social consequences and harm themselves, a study found.

Канабис is the most commonly used drug among adults who drink.

Yet no previous study has directly compared those who drink alcohol and smoke the drug at the same time - versus those who drink and smoke both, but on separate occasions.


People who smoke Канабис while drinking are twice as likely to drink-drive compared with people who just drink alcohol, or those who drink and smoke, but separately

And it turns out smoking ганжа under the influence of alcohol doubles the risk of drink-driving, suffering social consequences and harming oneself.
That is compared with people who drink and smoke separately.

But they also have double the odds of drink driving when compared to people who just drink alcohol.

Dr Meenakshi Subbaraman, of the Alcohol Research Group, said: 'If Канабис use becomes more prevalent as US states and other countries continue to legalise it, then we need to be prepared to advise people appropriately.

'If you use both substances together, your risk of drunk driving, and possibly other consequences, may be higher than if you stick to using one at a time.'

As part of the study, the researchers looked at three groups of people.

They studied those who used only alcohol in the previous 12 months, known as the 'alcohol-only' group.

The second group, called the 'concurrent group', included those who used both alcohol and Канабис but always separately.

The third group, called the 'simultaneous group', included those who used both alcohol and Канабис together, or simultaneously.


Doctors should warn people that mixing Канабис with alcohol increases the risks, researchers said

The researchers analysed figures from the National Alcohol Survey of more than 8,600 people aged 18 and older from all over the US.

This involved assessing differences in the demographics, alcohol-related social consequences, harms to self, and drink-driving across the three groups.

Compared to adults who solely used alcohol, simultaneous users had double the odds of drink-driving, social consequences, and harm.

Compared to concurrent users, simultaneous users also had double the odds of drink-driving.

Simultaneous users also had the heaviest drinking patterns in terms of quantity and frequency.

Dr Subbarman hopes that doctors and Канабис manufacturers will begin to warn people that smoking Канабис and drinking at the same time elevates their risk of drink driving, social consequences and harming themselves.

She said: 'Most importantly, the findings will help clinicians and prevention/treatment specialists advise patients and others in the community regarding the elevated risk of consequences related to simultaneous use.

'I also hope that as the Канабис industry continues to grow, manufacturers will consider some sort of warning label related to increased risks when mixing alcohol and Канабис.'

The findings were published online by the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.