Drug and alcohol abuse are dangerous enough on their own. When combined, they can be deadly for the user. Some combinations are more dangerous than others, such as alcohol and barbiturates, which both serve to slow down heart and breathing rates. But mixing alcohol with any drug-even prescription drugs-can lead to serious, even deadly, consequences.
Actions of Alcohol on Body and Brain
Alcohol is a depressant drug. The use of alcohol slows down the central nervous system, which controls functions such as heart and breathing rates. Alcohol also causes an impairment of judgment, decreased coordination and reaction time and impaired intellectual function.
Alcohol alone in high doses can slow down breathing enough to cause coma or death; alcohol combined with other depressant drugs, such as GHB, Rohypnol, Ketamine, sleeping pills and tranquilizers, enhances these effects, increasing the risk of coma or death exponentially.
Alcohol is quickly absorbed by the body, with 20% of the absorption taking place from the stomach and the remainder through the small intestine. Unlike food, which requires the body to break it down before absorption can occur, alcohol requires no such breakdown.
Alcohol, like many drugs, is broken down in the liver. During this process, the structure of liver cells becomes altered; heavy or prolonged alcohol consumption damages the liver's ability to metabolize fatty acids.
Combined Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Drugs of any sort and alcohol are all chemical compositions. Mixing these chemical compositions is akin to sitting in a chemistry lab and pouring one dangerous solution after another into a beaker. Expecting anything but a volatile reaction would be foolhardy.
But that's just what people do when they pop a pill or two and wash it down with alcohol, or drink while under the influence of a drug. While the effects of mixing alcohol and depressant drugs are well documented, the less-predictable effects of mixing other types of drugs with alcohol can be just as dangerous.
Consider that nearly all chemicals, like alcohol, must pass through the liver to be metabolized. Taking drugs in combination with alcohol may overburden the liver, allowing more alcohol to remain in the bloodstream.
Research also suggests that certain drugs limit the body's ability to metabolize alcohol. This, too, could result in blood alcohol levels staying higher level for a longer period of time than normal. Alternately, the presence of alcohol in the system when a drug is taken can escalate the metabolism of that drug, causing rapid absorption and unwanted, potentially lethal, side effects.
For those using prescription medications, it's essential to discuss your alcohol use openly with your doctor. Be aware of potential interactions or side effects.
Parents also need to have frank discussions with kids about the dangers of mixing alcohol and prescription drugs. Kids are prone to experimenting and may be pressured to try dangerous combinations of prescriptions and alcohol, with the promise of a longer-lasting or more intense high. Combined with binge drinking, prescription drugs have the potential to cause serious long-term injuries or death.
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 | Drug abuse among teenagers starts earlier and occurs with around one third of kids. While alcohol is still the drug of choice, meth and pharmaceuticals are becoming more popular. |
 | There are many causes of teenage drug abuse, including a lack of parental involvement, a lack of education on the dangers of drugs and an atmosphere of tolerance at schools. |
If you decide to drug test at home, there is a variety of drug test kits on the market. It can be hard to choose kit which will be reliable and accurate. |
Even as the number of kids using alcohol and illegal drugs dropped, the number of teens getting high with cough syrup abuse has been increasing. |
