Individuals who drink alcohol beyond the set limit and smoke marijuana are more vulnerable to drunk driving, which has serious consequences, such as road accidents which may lead to fatalities or serious injuries. It has been confirmed that about 18 percent of motor vehicle accidents are a result of driving under influence of a number of drugs, mainly alcohol and marijuana. These accidents occur due to impaired judgement of the intoxicated driver.
Drinking alcohol or smoking pot separately is more likely to progress to a stage where you use both substances simultaneously. Over time, this habit may advance further to a stage where the drug user cannot practice self control or maintain control over their lives as they drink excessively every single day. Other consequences include; bar fights, breaking the law more frequently, marriage problems, arguments, relationship problems, job loss and road carnage.
The study covered three groups of drug users including: alcohol drinkers, pot smokers and individuals who used the two substances together. The study revealed that individuals who used the two substances separately were most likely to indulge simultaneously in both. They were also more likely to engage in occasional heavy drinking habits. Men were the most affected group compared to women. The problem with simultaneous alcohol and pot use is that it worsens the adverse effects of alcohol, leaving the driver more drunk than when intoxicated with alcohol alone.
There needs to be a drug abuse awareness campaign for drug abusers to educate them on the perils of simultaneous drug use. This is because it leads to drunk driving, which has a high potential of causing road accidents that may lead to loss of lives among other things.
