Don’t blame doctors for over-prescribing opioids, or pharmacists who knowing dispensed far too many. Blame alcohol.
That’s the clear implication of a new study by the anti-alcohol Centers for Disease Control & Prevention published today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The study finds that more than half of the 4.2 million Americans who misused prescription opioids between 2012 and 2014 also engaged in binge drinking
CDC’s analysis shows that people who binge drank were nearly twice as likely to misuse prescription opioids as non-drinkers, even after taking into account other factors that could affect the relationship between prescription opioid misuse and binge drinking, like age and sex.
“We are losing far too many Americans each day from overdoses,” said CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, M.D. “Combining alcohol and opioids can significantly increase the risk of overdoses and deaths.”
For this report, CDC scientists analyzed data for 2012, 2013, and 2014 on self-reported binge drinking and prescription opioid misuse during the past 30 days from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Prescription opioid misuse among people who binge drank varied by age and social factors.
- While young people who binge drank had higher rates of prescription opioid misuse, 2 in 3 people who binge drank and misused prescription opioids were age 26 years and older.
- Prescription opioid misuse was more common among people who binge drank with lower education and income levels.
- Prescription opioid misuse increased with the frequency of binge drinking.
In recommending solutions to the opioid problem, CDC doesn’t focus on restricting access to opioids by people who don’t need them. CDC instead focuses on alcohol calling for limiting the number of places that sell alcohol in neighborhoods, legal liability for places that illegally serve underage or intoxicated patrons, and maintaining limits on the days and hours when alcohol can be sold.
The 2015-2020 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults who drink consume alcohol in moderation — up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men, CDC noted.
In addition, the Guidelines indicate some people should not drink at all, including women who are pregnant or might be pregnant, people who are under age 21, and people who are using certain medications that can interact with alcohol, like prescription opioids.