Research & Resources

Using alcohol or benzodiazepines with prescription opioids can increase the risk of overdose and death. To understand whether people understand the risks of mixing substances and if not, how they can learn about these risks, researchers conducted an online survey of 639 adults in Michigan to understand their alcohol, prescription opioid, and benzodiazepine use. Overall, they found that people who reported at least one heavy drinking episode in the past month were less likely to believe that mixing alcohol and prescription opioids posed a great risk. Different demographic groups had different risk perceptions. The paper, “Public Perceptions of Risks Associated with Mixing Opioid Pain-Relievers with Alcohol and Benzodiazepines,” was funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. It was published in the journal Substance Use and Misuse.