Pragst Fritz, Niebel André, Thurmann Denise, Dullin Monique, Eichberg Susann, Mörlein Frederike, Hartwig Sven
Institute of Legal Medicine, University Medicine Charité, Berlin, Germany.
Drug Test Anal. 2025 Feb;17(2):259-271. doi: 10.1002/dta.3702. Epub 2024 Apr 30.
Combined use of alcohol and illicit drugs is a serious health and social problem. In this study, it was examined, whether a relationship between alcohol and drug abuse can be ascertained by comparison of alcohol marker and drug concentrations in hair. In the frame of a social support system for families with parental abuse of illicit drugs, hair samples were analyzed between 2011 and 2022 for methadone, heroin (6-acetylmorphine), cocaine, amphetamine, ecstasy (MDMA), cannabinoids (THC), and the alcohol markers ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and ethyl palmitate (EtPa). For 1314 hair samples from adolescent and adult family members, the hair results show a prevalence of combined occasional or regular drug use and social or abusive alcohol use of 41%-60% except heroin (35%). The drug concentrations were statistically compared in the three categories of abstinence or moderate drinking, social drinking, and alcohol abuse. For the most frequently detected drug cocaine (n = 703), a significant increase of the concentrations with rising alcohol consumption was found. The frequent detection of cocaethylene proved the preferred simultaneous intake of both substances. For THC (n = 489), no significant difference between the alcohol consumer groups was seen. Concerning the less frequently detected methadone (n = 89), 6-acetylmorphine (n = 92), amphetamine (n = 123), and MDMA (n = 105), no clear trend between drug and alcohol marker results was determined. It is concluded that the evaluation of hair results is an appropriate way to study the extent of combined drug-alcohol consumption and complements other studies based on acquisition of consumption data by interview or questionnaire.
酒精与非法药物的联合使用是一个严重的健康和社会问题。在本研究中，通过比较毛发中的酒精标志物和药物浓度，来检验是否能确定酒精与药物滥用之间的关系。在一个针对父母滥用非法药物家庭的社会支持系统框架内，于2011年至2022年期间对毛发样本进行了分析，检测其中的美沙酮、海洛因（6-乙酰吗啡）、可卡因、苯丙胺、摇头丸（3,4－亚甲基二氧甲基苯丙胺）、大麻素（四氢大麻酚）以及酒精标志物葡萄糖醛酸乙酯（EtG）和棕榈酸乙酯（EtPa）。对于来自青少年和成年家庭成员的1314份毛发样本，毛发检测结果显示，除海洛因（35%）外，偶尔或经常联合使用药物以及社交性或滥用酒精的比例为41% - 60%。对禁欲或适度饮酒、社交饮酒和酒精滥用这三类情况中的药物浓度进行了统计学比较。对于检测频率最高的药物可卡因（n = 703），发现随着酒精摄入量的增加，其浓度显著升高。对可卡乙碱的频繁检测证明了这两种物质优先同时摄入。对于四氢大麻酚（n = 489），在饮酒人群组之间未发现显著差异。对于检测频率较低的美沙酮（n = 89）、6-乙酰吗啡（n = 92）、苯丙胺（n = 123）和3,4－亚甲基二氧甲基苯丙胺（n = 105），在药物和酒精标志物结果之间未确定明确趋势。得出的结论是，对毛发检测结果的评估是研究药物 - 酒精联合消费程度的一种合适方法，并且补充了其他基于通过访谈或问卷获取消费数据的研究。
