Menu

In the News

New Study: Some Pot Smokers Face a Higher Risk of Drinking Problems

The Huffington Post and LiveScience.com look at a new PHI study finding that people who combine alcohol and marijuana may be at greater risk for alcohol-related problems, such as drunken driving and poorer health.

People who use alcohol and marijuana together may be at greater risk for alcohol-related problems, such as drunken driving and poorer health, than those who use only alcohol, a new study from PHI’s Alcohol Research Group finds.

In the study, researchers analyzed information from people in Washington state who were asked about their use of alcohol and marijuana over the past year, and whether they had ever experienced problems from their drinking. The survey took place from 2014 to 2015; recreational marijuana use was legalized in Washington in 2012.

Those who used both drugs simultaneously reported drinking more frequently, and consuming higher amounts of alcohol, than those who said they used both substances separately, as well as those who used only alcohol, the researchers said.

Biostatistician Meenakshi Subbaraman from PHI’s Alcohol Research Group says the findings suggest that in order to minimize harms from alcohol “people who use both [marijuana and alcohol] should probably use them separately.”

Read the full article on Huffington Post.

Read the full article on LiveScience.

Originally published by The Huffington Post


More Updates

Work With Us

You change the world. We do the rest. Explore fiscal sponsorship at PHI.

Bring Your Work to PHI

Support Us

Together, we can accelerate our response to public health’s most critical issues.

Donate

Find Employment

Begin your career at the Public Health Institute.

See Jobs

Rise Up girl leaders

Close

We Are All Public Health

When we are all public health, a healthier, more equitable world is within our reach. In our 2022 annual report, we share some of the unique roles we each play in making public health stronger, reach farther and connect better.

Read our 2022 Annual Report

Continue to PHI.org