Multidrug Use: Supplementary Perspectives

Abstract

The phenomenon of multiple drug use has been examined for a number of different types of groups ranging from “normals” (Blum et al., 1969) to psychiatric patients (Frosch, 1969; Rockwell, 1969; Rickels and Brand, 1969) to opiate users (Lucas et al., 1972). Most attention has been devoted to marihuana smokers (Goode, 1969; Whitehead et al., 1972; Grupp, 1971). Each of these studies has found high rates of multiple drug use among the populations in question. That is, each study suggests that users of any one drug are more likely to use other drugs than those who do not use that drug. However, the validity of this conclusion has yet to be tested for a variety of other types of drugs, e.g., alcohol, tobacco, and speed. Previous studies suggest that there may be some etiological significance that is attached to the use of a drug in terms of increasing the probability of using other drugs. However, this needs to be further examined in terms of other substances, and this is the purpose of this paper.