University Of Kentucky Research Study Suggests Rates Of Alcohol Consumption Directly Increase Prescription Stimulant Abuse Risk

Alcohol & Prescription Stimulant Abuse

Demonstrating a logical connection between drinking and methamphetamine abuse, a new University of Kentucky research study suggests alcohol consumption may increase the likelihood of prescription stimulant abuse. Amphetamines are part of the larger group of drugs known as stimulants that includes cocaine and Adderall. Although cocaine was once the dominant illegal stimulant abused, today prescription stimulants like Adderall are more widely abused by young adults. The clinical staff at ONE80CENTER are not surprised that the Kentucky study strongly indicates an association between alcohol consumption and prescription stimulant abuse.

Prescription Stimulant Abuse Linked To Alcohol Consumption

As the senior author of the study and professor of Behavioral Science, Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Kentucky, Craig R. Rush said that the study shows a direct epidemiological link between drinking alcohol and prescription stimulant abuse, implying a link as well to the abuse of crystal meth. Building on his previous research that showed moderate drinkers were more sensitive to some of the effects of amphetamines when compared to light drinkers, Rush published the new study in the March 2011 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

Rush explains in detail: “The idea behind the present study was to follow that study up with one in which we determined whether moderate drinkers were also more likely to work to receive amphetamine in the laboratory, in addition to being more sensitive to its subjective effects.” The researchers looked at 33 study participants and divided them into either moderate (more than seven drinks per week) or light drinkers (less than seven drinks per week).

The focus on study was not on actual drinking, but how drinkers ranging from light to moderate react to a rewards program related to prescription stimulant abuse. During a series of four studies on prescription stimulant abuse and rates of alcohol consumption, the participants were given a placebo as well as low (8-10mg) and high (16-20mg) doses of d-amphetamine. The subjects then had the chance to earn up to a total of eight capsules containing 12.5 percent of the previous dose by working on a computer task.

Drug Seeking, Drinking And Prescription Stimulant Abuse

Prescription Stimulant Abuse

What is fascinating is that the high dose of amphetamines increased drug seeking behaviors in both light and moderate drinkers, but only the low dose did so with the moderate drinkers. Such a finding definitely suggests that consuming moderate levels of alcohol can increase an individual’s vulnerability to prescription stimulants and illegal stimulant abuse.

Mark T. Fillmore, a professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky and part of the research team, summarized what needs to be done in light of the study: “We need to determine if drinking heavily might actually produce physiological changes in individuals that causes them to become more sensitive to the pleasurable effects of psychostimulant drugs, such as amphetamines.” Such efforts unquestionably will help to wide and deepen the prescription stimulant abuse debate that needs to be conducted in light of the prevalence of co-occurring disorders.

Expanding on his colleagues point, Rush explained, “Other future directions could be to look at the influence of alcohol use history on the effects of other drugs of abuse or to determine how acute alcohol administration, as opposed to self-reported drinking history, impacts response to stimulants.” Without question, the link between prescription stimulant abuse and alcohol consumption is directly related, particularly in terms of a certain personality and even genetic type that is prone to alcoholism and addiction.

ONE80CENTER has seen the prevalence of co-occurring disorders in our client base. Such commonality in both alcoholics and addicts makes the connection between prescription stimulant abuse and alcohol consumption appear almost like an afterthought. The question is not whether co-occurring disorders fuel each other, but how to prevent them from causing such damage and havoc in the lives of so many young people.