DrugRehab.com provides information regarding illicit and prescription drug
addiction, the various populations at risk for the disease, current statistics and trends, and
psychological disorders that often accompany addiction. You will also find information on spotting
the signs and symptoms of substance use and hotlines for immediate assistance.
Treatment for addiction takes many forms and depends on the needs of the individual.
In accordance with the American Society of Addiction Medicine, we offer information on
outcome-oriented treatment that adheres to an established continuum of care. In this section, you
will find information and resources related to evidence-based treatment models, counseling and
therapy and payment and insurance options.
Treatment for addiction takes many forms and depends on the needs of the
individual. In accordance with the American Society of Addiction Medicine, we offer
information on outcome-oriented treatment that adheres to an established continuum of
care. In this section, you will find information and resources related to evidence-based
treatment models, counseling and therapy and payment and insurance options.
The recovery process doesn't end after 90 days of treatment. The transition back to
life outside of rehab is fraught with the potential for relapse. Aftercare resources such as
12-step groups, sober living homes and support for family and friends promote a life rich with
rewarding relationships and meaning.
Our community offers unique perspectives on lifelong recovery and substance use
prevention, empowering others through stories of strength and courage. From people in active
recovery to advocates who have lost loved ones to the devastating disease of addiction, our
community understands the struggle and provides guidance born of personal experience.
A new study indicates marijuana may lead to health risks later in life, but the risks may not be what you think. Adults who consume marijuana are five times more likely to suffer from alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction as compared with adults who don’t use the drug.
If an adult already suffers from alcoholism, they’re more likely to continue suffering from it if they smoke marijuana, according to the study published this month in the Journal of Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
“Our results suggest that cannabis use appears to be associated with an increased vulnerability to developing an alcohol use disorder, even among those without any history of this,” lead author Renee Goodwin said in a press release. “Marijuana use also appears to increase the likelihood that an existing alcohol use disorder will continue over time.”
Researchers have long struggled to confirm the belief that marijuana is a gateway to harder drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine. A 2000 study published in the Journal of Addiction concluded that “cannabis may act as a gateway drug that encourages other forms of illicit drug use. Nonetheless, the possibility remains that the association is non-causal.”
The researchers analyzed data from more than 27,000 people who completed two waves of the National Epidemiological Study of Alcohol Use and Related Disorders — a large study conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
The adults had no prior history of alcohol abuse before using marijuana for the first time. The ones who first smoked by the initial wave of the study in 2001 were five times more likely to be suffering from an alcohol use disorder by the second wave of the study, conducted in 2004 and 2005.
Participants who suffered from alcohol use disorders in 2001 and did not use marijuana were much more likely to be in recovery by 2004-05 than those who did use marijuana. The researchers examined trends among various demographics, co-occurring mental health disorders and other kinds of addiction. They found consistent results across the board.
“If future research confirms these findings, investigating whether preventing or delaying first use of marijuana might reduce the risk of developing alcohol use disorders among some segments of the population may be worthwhile,” Goodwin said.
Is Alcohol a Gateway Drug, Too?
A lot of experts focus on marijuana acting as a gateway drug, but the most widely abused drug among youth might serve the same function.
A January 2016 study published in the Journal of School Health found the majority of American high school seniors tried alcohol before trying tobacco or marijuana.
The study analyzed survey responses from 2,835 high schoolers who participated in the University of Michigan and the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s annual Monitoring the Future study in 2015. They investigated which substance teens tried first and the order in which teens tried alcohol, marijuana and tobacco.
The scholars found alcohol was the most commonly abused substance and most teens tried alcohol first. They also found marijuana was the least likely drug to be abused first.
Among students who tried any of the three drugs:
54 percent
tried alcohol first.
32 percent
tried tobacco first.
14 percent
tried marijuana first.
The drug that teens tried first might not be the most important key to the drug prevention equation, though.
Age of First Use More Important than First Drug Used
The authors of the study were more interested in how the age of first use affected youth behavior later in life.
“Overall, early onset substance initiation, whether that is alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs, exerts a powerful influence over future health risk behaviors,” the authors wrote.
They found that the younger a person was when they tried a drug for the first time, the more likely they were to experiment with other drugs. They also found sixth and seventh graders who tried a drug tried an average of two other drugs later in life.
Teens who waited until their senior year of high school had tried an average of only 0.4 substances of abuse by the time of the survey. The comparison is somewhat weak, though, because those surveyed were high school seniors. Little time had passed between when they tried their first drug and when they took the survey.
“Findings underscore the importance of screening for substance use, even among youth enrolled in elementary or middle school,” the authors wrote.
Whether a person tries alcohol first or marijuana first, the evidence seems to be clear. Abusing one drug can lead to abusing another, and one drug addiction can make another drug addiction worse.
Medical Disclaimer: DrugRehab.com aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with a substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.
Share
View Sources
Barry, A. E. et al. (2016, January). Prioritizing Alcohol Prevention: Establishing Alcohol as the Gateway Drug and Linking Age of First Drink With Illicit Drug Use. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26645418
Goodwin, R. D., Platt, J. & Weinberger, A. H. (2016, February 11). Is cannabis use associated with an increased risk of onset and persistence of alcohol use disorders? A three-year prospective study among adults in the United States. Retrieved from http://www.drugandalcoholdependence.com/article/S0376-8716(16)00042-9/abstract
Ingraham, C. (2016, January 6). The real ‘gateway drug’ is 100% legal. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/01/06/the-real-gateway-drug-thats-everywhere-and-legal/
Go To:
Looking for help?
Our recovery programs are designed with you in mind.
Calls will be answered by a qualified admissions representative with Advanced Recovery Systems (ARS), the owners of DrugRehab.com. We look forward to helping you!
Phone calls to treatment center listings not associated with ARS will go directly to those centers. DrugRehab.com and ARS are not responsible for those calls.
