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History of regular nonmedical sedative and/or alcohol use differentiates substance-use patterns and consequences among chronic heroin users.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Concurrent use of sedating substances (e.g. alcohol or benzodiazepines) with opioids is associated with increased negative consequences of opioid use; however, few studies have attempted to differentiate effects of using sedating substances on heroin-use outcomes. This study examines differences between heroin users who use alcohol or misuse sedatives regularly and those who do not. METHODS:Substance-use data were collected from 367 non-treatment seeking, chronic heroin-using, 18-to-55?year-old participants. We created 4 groups based on self-reported lifetime history of regular (at least weekly) substance use: heroin only (n?=?95), heroin and sedatives (n?=?21), heroin and alcohol (n?=?151), and heroin, sedative, and alcohol (n?=?100). Chi-square analyses and ANOVAs with Bonferroni post hoc tests were used to explore differences between these groups. RESULTS:Heroin users who denied lifetime alcohol or nonmedical sedative use regularly endorsed fewer consequences associated with any substance they had used. Total adverse consequences of heroin use (e.g. health problems) were significantly higher among those who misused sedatives regularly, irrespective of alcohol use history (F(3,361)?=?10.21; p?

SUBMITTER: Moses TEH

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6581601 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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History of regular nonmedical sedative and/or alcohol use differentiates substance-use patterns and consequences among chronic heroin users.

Moses Tabitha E H TEH Greenwald Mark K MK

Addictive behaviors 20190516

<h4>Background</h4>Concurrent use of sedating substances (e.g. alcohol or benzodiazepines) with opioids is associated with increased negative consequences of opioid use; however, few studies have attempted to differentiate effects of using sedating substances on heroin-use outcomes. This study examines differences between heroin users who use alcohol or misuse sedatives regularly and those who do not.<h4>Methods</h4>Substance-use data were collected from 367 non-treatment seeking, chronic heroin ...[more]

PMID: 31112911

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Project description:ImportanceThere is concern that nonmedical prescription opioid use is associated with an increased risk of later heroin use initiation in adolescents, but to our knowledge, longitudinal data addressing this topic are lacking.ObjectiveTo determine whether nonmedical prescription opioid use is associated with subsequent initiation of heroin use in adolescents.Design, setting, and participantsThis prospective longitudinal cohort study conducted in 10 high schools in Los Angeles, California, administered 8 semiannual surveys from 9th through 12th grade that assessed nonmedical prescription opioid use, heroin use, and other factors from October 2013 to July 2017. Students were baseline never users of heroin recruited through convenience sampling. Cox regression models tested nonmedical prescription opioid use statuses at survey waves 1 through 7 as a time-varying and time-lagged regressor and subsequent heroin use initiation across waves 2 to 8 as the outcome.ExposuresSelf-reported nonmedical prescription opioid use (past 30-day [current] use vs past 6-month [prior] use without past 30-day use vs no past 6-month use) at each wave from 1 to 7.Main outcomes and measuresSelf-reported heroin use initiation (yes/no) during waves 2 to 8.ResultsOf 3298 participants, 1775 (53.9%) were adolescent girls, 1563 (48.3%) were Hispanic, 548 (17.0%) were Asian, 155 (4.8%) were African American, 529 (16.4%) were non-Hispanic white, and 220 (6.8%) were multiracial. Among baseline never users of heroin in ninth grade with valid data (3298 [97% of cohort enrollees]; mean [SD] age, 14.6 [0.4] years), the number of individuals with outcome data available at each follow-up ranged from 2987 (90.6%) to 3200 (97.0%). The mean per-wave prevalence of prior and current nonmedical prescription opioid use from waves 1 to 7 was 1.9% and 2.7%, respectively. Seventy students (2.1%) initiated heroin use during waves 2 to 8. Prior vs no (hazard ratio, 3.59; 95% CI, 2.14-6.01; P < .001) and current vs no (hazard ratio, 4.37; 95% CI, 2.80-6.81; P < .001) nonmedical prescription opioid use were positively associated with subsequent heroin use initiation. For no, prior, and current nonmedical prescription opioid use statuses at waves 1 to 7, the estimated cumulative probabilities of subsequent heroin use initiation by wave 8 (42-month follow-up) were 1.7%, 10.7%, and 13.1%, respectively. In covariate-adjusted models, associations were attenuated but remained statistically significant and current nonmedical prescription opioid use risk estimates were stronger than corresponding associations of nonopioid substance use with subsequent heroin use initiation.Conclusions and relevanceNonmedical prescription opioid use was prospectively associated with subsequent heroin use initiation during 4 years of adolescence among Los Angeles youth. Further research is needed to understand whether this association is causal.

Dataset Information

History of regular nonmedical sedative and/or alcohol use differentiates substance-use patterns and consequences among chronic heroin users.

Publications

History of regular nonmedical sedative and/or alcohol use differentiates substance-use patterns and consequences among chronic heroin users.

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