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The Concurrent Use of Alcohol, Cigarettes and Caffeine in British Benzodiazepine Users as Measured by a General Population Survey
Author(s) -
DUNBAR G. C.,
MORGAN D. D. V.,
PERERA K. M. H.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
british journal of addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0952-0481
DOI - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.1988.tb02599.x
Subject(s) - benzodiazepine , population , smoke , alcohol , medicine , alcohol consumption , environmental health , psychoactive substance , psychology , psychiatry , geography , biology , biochemistry , receptor , meteorology
Summary A 1985 general population survey was conducted by Gallup in Great Britain. Subjects (4,148) were questioned about their use of benzodiazepines of whom 1,284 were also questioned about their alcohol, cigarette and caffeine consumption. Data were examined to find possible multiple substance misuse. No strong evidence could be found. People taking benozodiazepines at the time of the survey consumed significantly less alcohol than non‐users or past users. Cigarette consumption was found to be increased in current and past benzodiazepine users. Subgroups of benzodiazepine users, defined as‘high users’,‘dosage escalators’or‘chronic users’were also examined. Again no strong evidence of multiple substance misuse could be found. However, high users and dosage escalators did smoke more than others. Concurrent misuse of benzodiazepines and other legally available psychoactive substances is not common in the general population.