Cannabis and mortality among young men: a longitudinal study of Swedish conscripts.
The association between level of cannabis consumption and mortality during a 15-year follow-up was studied in a cohort of 45,540 Swedish conscripts. The relative risk of death among high consumers of cannabis (use on more than 50 occasions) was 2.8 (95% confidence interval (1.9-4.1)) compared with non-users. However, after control for social background variables in a multivariate model, no excess mortality was found. A high level of consumption of other drugs was also associated with increased mortality; the relative risk of high consumption (greater than 50 times) was 4.6 (2.4-8.5) compared with non-users. After adjustment for social background a relative risk of 1.2 (0.8-1.9) remained; for those having used drugs intravenously more than once, the relative risk was 1.6 (0.9-2.7). Among causes of death a strong predominance was found for violent death, suicide or uncertain suicide being the single most important accounting for 34.4% of all deaths. The proportion of suicides increased sharply with the level of cannabis consumption.
Andréasson
S
S
Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge University Hospital, Sweden.
Allebeck
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P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015984:Causality; D002423:Cause of Death; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000523:psychology; D008889:Military Personnel; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology