According to a new statewide study across the US, participants reported significant disparities between the rates of secondhand harm from alcohol, marijuana, and other substances. The results, which were released in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, are based on information obtained from 7,799 respondents’ answers to the 2020 U.S. National Alcohol Survey.
The study found that a sizable 34.2% of participants had at some time in their lives suffered secondhand alcohol-related problems. Family disputes, car crashes, vandalism, bodily injuries, and financial hardships were among these damages. Only 5.5% of respondents, on the other hand, said they had ever suffered negative effects from the cannabis usage of others.
When the difference was limited to the last 12 months, 6.2% of respondents reported recent alcohol-related secondhand damage, compared to 1.8% for cannabis. Opioids and other substances were also mentioned, but at lesser percentages (2.2% for opioids and 2.2% for other drugs).
The incidence of alcohol-related secondhand effects considerably outweighed that of any other substance according to the study’s authors from the Alcohol Research Group and RTI International. Demographic disparities were emphasized, indicating that women, people of caucasian descent, and those with a family history of alcoholism were more likely to report issues. Additionally, those who were separated, divorced, or bereaved reported increased rates of secondhand alcohol damage.
It’s interesting to note that the study discovered a lower likelihood of secondhand effects related to cannabis use among regular users. This result is consistent with other studies that found cannabis usage is less likely than alcohol use to cause interpersonal damage.
The authors expressed doubts over the accuracy of self-reported data, pointing out that there may have been underreporting since drug use is stigmatized. They also proposed that alcohol-related harms could be better remembered and hence reported more frequently than those caused by cannabis or other substances because of their nature, which includes aggression and more obvious effects like accidents.
Beyond drawing attention to differences in reported harm, the study sought to increase knowledge about the ways in which drug use impacts not just users but also friends and relatives. Erika Rosen, the lead researcher, stressed how crucial it is to take these effects into account when creating treatments and policies that work.
As cannabis advocates continue to fight stigmas, alcohol is often considered safer despite potential evidence suggesting otherwise. Due to many years of public bias, some are likely to believe that marijuana is far more dangerous than alcohol. While the study’s authors have noted potential biases in the data, the disparity between second-hand alcohol and cannabis harm is noteworthy as society and its policies move forward.
One of the possible reasons for marijuana causing less secondhand damage is the fact that it does not have physically addictive properties in the same factor that alcohol does. The human body can build up a dependence on anything that it consistently consumes, but addiction to alcohol is often considered to be more severe than an addiction to cannabis.
