Pubdate: Wed, 22 Jan 2003
Source: Brown Daily Herald, The (RI Edu)
Copyright: 2003 The Brown Daily Herald
Contact:  http://www.browndailyherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/727
Author:  Stephanie Harris

ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA USERS AT RISK OF INJURY

People who drink alcohol and use marijuana are more likely to sustain 
injuries than users of either substance alone or non-users, according to a 
recent study led by Robert Woolard, an associate professor at the Brown 
Medical School.

The study, which was published in the January issue of Academic Emergency 
Medicine, showed that of 433 injured patients considered problem drinkers, 
those who smoke marijuana had more injuries and negative consequences than 
those who did not.

"Many people believe that marijuana is safe, and they're right in that it 
doesn't lead to injuries, but when you use alcohol and marijuana, it's 
additive. In fact, there are higher injury rates and problems that people 
need to be aware of," Woolard said.

Woolard has been involved in research that provides counseling to people 
who come into the emergency room with alcohol-related injuries. He found 
that 47 percent of those patients used marijuana, which led him to study 
the relationship between alcohol and marijuana use and injuries more 
deeply, he said.

Experts in the field do not know why such a large percentage of patients 
use marijuana as well, Woolard said. He said he hopes to look into this 
question in future research. But he does have a theory he developed 
partially from his knowledge of the habits of adolescents, which he learned 
from his own children, he said.

"One theory we had is that these are party people," Woolard said. "Alcohol 
and marijuana are available at every party they go to. It seemed like a 
common activity for young people." The availability of alcohol and 
marijuana in the same environments may lead a person to use both, which 
then can lead to an increased likelihood for injury, he said. Many of the 
patients were young, including a large number of college students, the 
report said.

Woolard said the research took into account other factors that could 
increase the risk of injury. The researchers looked at a scale of risky 
behaviors and impulsiveness to get a sense of whether the patients often 
took risks such as skydiving, Woolard said. Even when they controlled for 
age, sex and other factors, marijuana use still proved to be significant.

The study was conducted at Rhode Island Hospital. Injured patients who were 
intoxicated, were carrying alcohol on them or scored highly on a standard 
screen for hazardous drinking were asked a series of questions about their 
lifestyle, including whether they used marijuana. The researchers targeted 
the night and weekend shifts, when most of the intoxicated injured patients 
come in.

Woolard said this latest research will help him tailor his counseling to 
more accurately target patients' issues. "Our counseling, which focused on 
alcohol, was missing a big factor," he said. Woolard plans to try a new 
intervention for alcohol and marijuana, he said. "We're hoping that 
intervention will reduce injuries."
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens