[Use of benzodiazepines and cannabis in young adults].
BACKGROUND
Physicians prescribe benzodiazepines more often to patients with high alcohol consumption than to others. Little is known about benzodiazepine prescription rates to people who use illicit substances. In this cross-sectional study we examined the association between use of cannabis and prescription of benzodiazepines in young adults.


METHODS
Data were analyzed on use of cannabis and prescription of benzodiazepines among 2606 participants in the survey "Young in Norway longitudinal" (YiN). Data from YiN and the Norwegian Prescription Database (NorPD) were merged. Anxiety was measured by use of 6 items from the Symptom Checklist-25. Other explanatory variables that were examined were age, sex and urbanity.


RESULTS
55 (2.1 %) participants had received at least one benzodiazepine prescription. Benzodiazepine prescription was significantly associated with frequent cannabis use (OR 4.2) and high level of anxiety (OR 8.5). The patients' sex, age and urbanity had no impact on benzodiazepine prescription.


CONCLUSIONS
Cannabis users receive more benzodiazepine prescriptions than others. They may have other motives than symptom relief (e.g. euphoric effects) for their benzodiazepine use.
Kornør
Hege
H
Avdeling for legemiddelepidemiologi, Nasjonalt folkehelseinstitutt, Nasjonalt kunnskapssenter for helsetjenesten, Postboks 7004 St. Olavs plass, 0130 Oslo, Norway. hege.kornor@kunnskapssenteret.no
Pedersen
Willy
W
von Soest
Tilmann
T
Rossow
Ingeborg
I
Bramness
Jørgen G
JG
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D009664:Norway; D012042:Registries; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines