Concurrent and simultaneous use of alcohol with sedatives and with tranquilizers: results of a national survey.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the prevalence of concurrent and simultaneous use of alcohol with sedatives and with tranquilizers in the general population and to examine differences in these rates between important sociodemographic subgroups. The results indicated that a sizable proportion of Americans engaged in both substance use practices in the year preceding the interview. The population estimate for simultaneous use of alcohol in combination with sedatives (i.e., use of both substances simultaneously or on the same occasion) was approximately 3 million while the concurrent use of both substances (i.e., during the same time period) was approximately 4 million. Corresponding figures for the simultaneous and concurrent use of alcohol and tranquilizers were both approximately 6 million. The extent of each substance use practice varied as a function of sociodemographic factors. Implications of these findings are discussed in terms of the need for age-sex-ethnic-specific prevention strategies. The need for future analytic epidemiological research to determine the precise relationship between dose, frequency, and duration of concurrent and simultaneous use and each adverse consequence is emphasized. The need for longitudinal research in the general population is also highlighted.