title: An exploration of alcohol use severity and route of drug administration among persons that use heroin and cocaine.
abstract: Alcohol use is prevalent among populations of persons that use illicit drugs. Problematic alcohol use among persons that use heroin and cocaine has been associated with poor treatment adherence, abstinence maintenance, and mental health concerns. Fully exploring how alcohol use severity interacts with route of administration (ROA) may be of notable importance in development of treatment protocols for persons that use heroin and cocaine.
  
  
  
  Data from a neurological and sociobehavioral assessment of risk factors among injection and noninjection drug users known as the NEURO-HIV Epidemiologic Study was used in the analyses. Participants (N = 551) included those who reported their level of past-30-day alcohol use and past-6-month heroin and cocaine use.
  
  
  
  Multiple logistic regression analyses found that both problematic and moderate alcohol users were significantly less likely than abstainers to report injecting heroin and cocaine. Both problematic and moderate alcohol users were significantly more likely than abstainers to snort substances.
  
  
  
  Alcohol use may play a role in promoting or impeding the use of substances through certain ROAs. Treatment protocols that transition persons that use injection heroin and cocaine to noninjection use of these substances may be used in conjunction with treatments that reduce alcohol consumption as a means to reduce noninjection drug use.
authors.affiliation: a Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation , Calverton , Maryland , USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scherer
authors.affiliation: b Eastern Virginia Medical School , Norfolk , Virginia , USA.
authors.forename: Paul T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Harrell
authors.affiliation: c Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry , New York , USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Trenz
authors.affiliation: d Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , Baltimore , Maryland , USA.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Canham
authors.affiliation: e Lehman College , Bronx , New York , USA.
authors.forename: William W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Latimer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015142:Baltimore / Q000453:epidemiology; D003042:Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D055030:Drug Users / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D003932:Heroin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003932:Heroin; D003042:Cocaine
keywords: Alcohol; cocaine; heroin; route of administration