Mixing Drugs and Alcohol

There are many dangers associated with mixing drugs and alcohol. Mixing substances, whether they are on prescription, bought over the counter or illegal drugs can increase the risk of side effects, change the effect of medications and increase the risk of overdose.

Some people may mix substances to enhance their high or ease the comedown, others may mix substances unintentionally. With illegal drugs, you can never be sure of what is in the substance you are taking, even if it does contain the substance you wanted to buy, it could also contain other, cheaper drugs and chemicals.

A common but extremely dangerous combination is alcohol and cocaine. Reasons for mixing alcohol and cocaine include seeking more intense feelings of high, being able to drink more alcohol without appearing drunk. The two substances combine to make a highly toxic substance called cocaethylene which places stress on the heart, increases the risk of sudden fatal heart attacks, seizures and liver damage as well as impaired driving ability. It also takes longer for cocaethylene to be cleared out of the body than cocaine or alcohol alone.

Keep yourself safe

• Drink slowly, eat before and while you are drinking
• Decide in advance how much you are going to drink and stick to your limits
• Alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks
• Do not drink if you are going to use other substances.
• If you do mix illegal drugs or prescribed medicines and alcohol, start with a small amount to test the effect and go slowly.
• If you think that someone is seriously unwell or overdosing after mixing substances, call for help by dialling 999