Patterns of same-day alcohol and cannabis use in adolescents and young adults with risky alcohol use - PubMed (original) (raw)

Patterns of same-day alcohol and cannabis use in adolescents and young adults with risky alcohol use

Lara N Coughlin et al. Addict Res Theory. 2022.

Abstract

Same-day alcohol and cannabis use is relatively common in adolescents and young adults, constituting a higher-risk behavior relative to single-substance use. However, the association between quantity of alcohol and cannabis use on co-use days is understudied. We examined the association between the quantity of alcohol and same-day cannabis use with a multilevel regression analysis in a sample of youth (16-24 years old) with risky alcohol use. Participants reported one or more days of alcohol and cannabis over the past month (N = 468). Quantity of cannabis use was highest on heavy drinking days [M = 0.91 grams, SD = 0.68] followed by moderate drinking days (M = 0.78 grams_, SD_ = 0.63), and lowest on days without alcohol use (M = 0.74 grams, SD = 0.64, p < 0.001). In multilevel modeling analyses, adjusted for clustering within individuals, greater quantity of drinking on a given day was associated with greater cannabis use (estimate = 0.03, p < 0.001). When using alcohol and cannabis on the same day, greater alcohol use was associated with greater cannabis use. Preventing days of heavy use of multiple substances, particularly among at-risk drinkers, may complement interventions addressing co-use generally to prevent substance-related consequences.

Keywords: Alcohol and cannabis co-use; adolescents; alcohol use; cannabis use; polysubstance use; young adults.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure of interest The authors do not have any personal financial interests related to this manuscript, with two exceptions related to Facebook ad recruitment: a) MW is a minor shareholder in Facebook and has a conflict of interest plan monitored and approved by the University of Michigan; and b) SY received an unrestricted gift from Facebook, on file at the University of California, Los Angeles (his prior employer).

References

    1. Agrawal A, Lynskey MT, Madden PAF, Pergadia ML, Bucholz KK, Heath AC. 2009. Simultaneous cannabis and tobacco use and cannabis-related outcomes in young women. Drug Alcohol Depend. 101(1–2):8–12. -PMC -PubMed
    1. Arterberry BJ, Goldstick JE, Walton MA, Cunningham RM, Blow FC, Bonar EE. 2021. Alcohol and cannabis motives: differences in daily motive endorsement on alcohol, cannabis, and alcohol/cannabis co-use days in a cannabis-using sample. Addict Res Theory. 29(2): 111–116. -PMC -PubMed
    1. Arterberry BJ, Treloar H, McCarthy DM. 2017. Empirical profiles of alcohol and marijuana use, drugged driving, and risk perceptions. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 78(6):889–898. -PMC -PubMed
    1. Barrus DG, Capogrossi KL, Cates SC. 2016. Tasty THC: promises and challenges of cannabis edibles. Methods Report. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc5260817/. -PMC -PubMed
    1. Bonar EE, Cunningham RM, Sweezea EC, Blow FC, Drislane LE, Walton MA. 2021. Piloting a brief intervention plus mobile boosters for drug use among emerging adults receiving emergency department care. Drug Alcohol Depend. 221:108625. -PMC -PubMed

LinkOut - more resources