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Author: search.filters.author.Graydon-Guy TSubject: search.filters.subject.Alcohol Drinking

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    Exploring the substitution of cannabis for alcohol and other drugs among a large convenience sample of people who use cannabis.
    (BioMed Central Ltd, 2024-11-05) Wilkins C; Romeo J; Rychert M; Graydon-Guy T
    Background The substitution of cannabis for alcohol and other drugs has been conceptualised in a harm reduction framework as where cannabis is used to reduce the negative side-effects, addiction potential, and social stigma of other drugs. There is currently mixed evidence with recent reviews suggesting cannabis co-use patterns may vary by age and ethnicity. Yet few studies have had large enough samples to examine this demographic variation in detail. Aims To explore the co-use of cannabis with alcohol and other drugs within demographic subgroups of a large sample of people who use cannabis. Specifically: (1) whether cannabis is being substituted for other drugs, and (2), whether cannabis use leads to more, less or the same level of other drug use. Method Online convenience survey promoted via Facebook™ completed by 23,500 New Zealand respondents. Those who had used cannabis and any of eight other substances in the same six-month period were asked if their use of cannabis had any impact on their use of each other substance (“a lot more”, “little more”, “no impact/same”, “little less”, “a lot less”). Frequency and quantity used of each other drug was compared by co-use group. Generalised logistic regression models were developed to predict co-use categories. Results Significant proportions reported cannabis use led to “less” alcohol (60%), synthetic cannabinoid (60%), morphine (44%) and methamphetamine (40%) use. Those who reported using “less” had lower frequency and amount used of other drugs. Approximately seven-out-ten reported cannabis use had “no impact” on LSD, MDMA, and cocaine use. One-in-five reported using cannabis led to “more” tobacco use. Young adults (21–35-years) were more likely to report cannabis use led to “less” drinking and methamphetamine use. Adolescent co-users (16–20 years) reported mixed impacts. Māori were more likely to report cannabis use resulted in “less” alcohol, tobacco, methamphetamine, and LSD use. Students and those living in cities were less likely to report cannabis use lowering use of other substances. Conclusion Cannabis and other drug co-use patterns are moderated by life stages, lifestyles, cultural perspectives, and urbanicity. Harm reduction initiatives and policy reforms should take account of these moderating factors.
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    Effective alcohol policies are associated with reduced consumption among demographic groups who drink heavily.
    (Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Research Society on Alcohol, 2023-04-23) Casswell S; Huckle T; Parker K; Graydon-Guy T; Leung J; Parry C; Torun P; Sengee G; Pham C; Gray-Phillip G; Callinan S; Chaiyasong S; MacKintosh AM; Meier P; Randerson S
    BACKGROUND: Alcohol policies stand out among other noncommunicable disease-relevant policies for the lack of uptake. Composite indicators have been developed to measure the effects of alcohol control policy. We investigated whether drinking patterns among demographic groups from general population samples of drinkers from diverse countries are associated with alcohol control policy as measured by the International Alcohol Control (IAC) Policy Index. METHODS: Representative samples of adult drinkers from 10 countries (five high-income and five middle-income) were surveyed about alcohol consumption, using beverage and location-specific questions. MEASUREMENTS: The IAC Policy Index was analyzed with frequency, typical occasion quantity, and volume consumed. Analyses used mixed models that included interactions between country IAC Policy Index score and age group, gender, and education level. FINDINGS: Each increase in IAC policy index score (reflecting more effective alcohol policy) was associated with a 13.9% decrease in drinking frequency (p = 0.006) and a 16.5% decrease in volume (p = 0.001). With each increase in IAC Policy Index score, both genders decreased for all three measures, but men less so than women. Women decreased their typical occasion quantity by 1.2% (p = 0.006), frequency by 3.1% (p < 0.001), and total volume by 4.2% (p < 0.001) compared to men. Low and mid-education groups decreased their typical occasion quantity by 2.6% (p < 0.001) and 1.6% (p = 0.001), respectively, compared to high education, while for drinking frequency the low education group increased by 7.0% (p < 0.001). There was an overall effect of age (F = 19.27, p < 0.0001), with 18-19 and 20-24-year-olds showing the largest decreases in typical occasion quantity with increasing IAC policy index score. CONCLUSIONS: The IAC Policy Index, reflecting four effective policies, was associated with volume and frequency of drinking across 10 diverse countries. Each increase in the IAC Policy Index was associated with lower typical quantities consumed among groups reporting heavy drinking: young adults and less well-educated. There is value in implementing such alcohol policies and a need to accelerate their uptake globally.
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    Effective alcohol policies and lifetime abstinence: An analysis of the International Alcohol Control policy index
    (John Wiley and Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs, 2023-03) Leung J; Casswell S; Parker K; Huckle T; Romeo J; Graydon-Guy T; Byron K; Callinan S; Chaiyasong S; Gordon R; Harker N; MacKintosh AM; Meier P; Paraje G; Parry CD; Pham C; Williams PP; Randerson S; Schelleman-Offermans K; Sengee G; Torun P; van Dalen W
    Introduction Alcohol abstinence remains common among adults globally, although low and middle-income countries are experiencing declines in abstention. The effect of alcohol policies on lifetime abstinence is poorly understood. The International Alcohol Control (IAC) policy index was developed to benchmark and monitor the uptake of effective alcohol policies and has shown strong associations with alcohol per capita consumption and drinking patterns. Uniquely, the index incorporates both policy ‘stringency’ and ‘impact’, reflecting policy implementation and enforcement, across effective policies. Here we assessed the association of the IAC policy index with lifetime abstinence in a diverse sample of jurisdictions. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the relationship between the IAC policy index score, and its components, and lifetime abstinence among adults (15+ years) in 13 high and middle-income jurisdictions. We examined the correlations for each component of the index and stringency and impact separately. Results Overall, the total IAC policy index scores were positively correlated with lifetime abstinence (r = 0.76), as were both the stringency (r = 0.62) and impact (r = 0.82) scores. Marketing restrictions showed higher correlations with lifetime abstinence than other policy domains (r = 0.80), including restrictions on physical availability, pricing policies and drink-driving prevention. Discussion and Conclusion Our findings suggest that restricting alcohol marketing could be an important policy for the protection of alcohol abstention. The IAC policy index may be a useful tool to benchmark the performance of alcohol policy in supporting alcohol abstention in high and middle-income countries.