Alcohol and Illicit Drug Use: Follow-up Study of Treatment Admissions to DARP during 1969-1971

Abstract

The present study was based on follow-up data on 1409 persons interviewed 4 to 6 years after admission to drug treatment in the Drug Abuse Reporting Program (DARP). The admissions to DARP occurred in 1969-1971, and for most persons the follow-up data included 3 or more years after termination of DARP treatment. The study focused on variations in alcohol consumption associated with post-DARP drug use and treatment status. The results indicated that use of alcohol and non-opioid drugs (particularly marijuana) tended to be correlated, but that this was not true of opioid drugs. For a small segment of the sample, evidence suggested that substitution of use may have occurred between alcohol and opioid drugs. Also, persons with post-DARP drug treatment tended to use less alcohol than persons without treatment. Interpretations and implications of these findings are discussed.

Overlooked and underestimated? Problematic alcohol use in clients recovering from drug dependence

“…It is possible that more in-depth qualitative studies will also shed light on this interrelationship; however, it is likely that there are considerable individual differences at play, suggesting that subgroups of recovering users might be especially at risk (e.g. [16]). For example, Lehman & Simpson [20] argued that substitution with alcohol might be higher in individuals with a history of alcohol abuse and familial alcoholism.…”

“…The DARP studies [15,16] indicate that overall alcohol use increased post-treatment at the 1-and 6-year follow-up time-points while drug use decreased, suggesting indirectly that substitution may be occurring. Simpson and colleagues [16] found that a small group of participants reported a direct inverse relationship between quitting heroin use and increasing alcohol use post-treatment (13%).…”

“…The DARP studies [15,16] indicate that overall alcohol use increased post-treatment at the 1-and 6-year follow-up time-points while drug use decreased, suggesting indirectly that substitution may be occurring. Simpson and colleagues [16] found that a small group of participants reported a direct inverse relationship between quitting heroin use and increasing alcohol use post-treatment (13%). Interestingly, alcohol use gradually declined at the 12-year follow-up mark along with a concurrent decrease in opioid use, indicating that substitution may occur early post-treatment, but gradually all drug and alcohol use declined over the 12 years.…”

“…Our review identified eight papers that provided data addressing the question of whether alcohol becomes a substitute addiction following recovery from illicit drug use [10,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Six of these papers reported on the outcomes of large-scale longitudinal studies (conducted in Australia, Ireland, the United States and England) which reported on the efficacy of various treatments for illicit drug addiction and documented alcohol consumption during and after treatment.…”

“…Six of these papers reported on the outcomes of large-scale longitudinal studies (conducted in Australia, Ireland, the United States and England) which reported on the efficacy of various treatments for illicit drug addiction and documented alcohol consumption during and after treatment. These longitudinal studies include the Treatment Outcome Prospective Study (TOPS; [17]); the Drug Abuse Reporting Program (DARP; [15,16]); the National Treatment Outcome Study (NTORS; [10]); the Australian Treatment Outcome Study (ATOS; [12]); and the Research Outcome Study (ROSIE; [13]). …”