ArticleAlcohol and alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire)2023
Urine Drug Tests Indicate Higher Prevalence of Combined Alcohol and Cocaine Use Compared to Alcohol Together with Cannabis or Amphetamine-A Possible Link to Cocaethylene.
Article in Alcohol and alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.
- Interpol review of forensic drug chemistry, 2022-2025.Forensic science international. Synergy · 2026Review
- Cocaine Use Disorder: Neuropathology and Exploratory Treatments.Molecular neurobiology · 2026Review
- Is there a relationship between abuse of alcohol and illicit drugs seen in hair results?Drug testing and analysis · 2025Article
- Cardiovascular Risks of Simultaneous Use of Alcohol and Cocaine-A Systematic Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Review
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
aimThis retrospective study examined the prevalence of combined ethanol and cocaine use, which produces an enhanced psychoactive effect through formation of the active metabolite cocaethylene, compared to combined use of ethanol and two other common recreational drugs, cannabis and amphetamine, based on urine drug test results.
methodsThe study was based on >30,000 consecutive samples from routine urine drug testing in 2020, and 2627 samples from acute poisonings in the STRIDA project (2010-2016), in Sweden. Drug testing for ethanol (i.e. ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulfate), cocaine (benzoylecgonine), cannabis (Δ9-THC-COOH) and amphetamine was done by routine immunoassay screening and LC-MS/MS confirmatory methods. Seven samples testing positive for cocaine and ethyl glucuronide were also analyzed for cocaethylene by LC-HRMS/MS.
resultsAmong routine samples for which testing of ethanol and cocaine had been requested, 43% tested positive for both substances, compared with 24% for ethanol and cannabis and 19% for ethanol and amphetamine (P < 0.0001). Among the drug-related intoxications, 60% of cocaine-positive samples were also positive for ethanol, compared to 40% for cannabis and ethanol and 37% for amphetamine and ethanol. Cocaethylene was detected (range 1.3-150 μg/L) in all randomly selected samples testing positive for ethanol and cocaine use.
conclusionsThese results, which were based on objective laboratory measures, indicated that combined ethanol and cocaine exposure was more prevalent than expected from drug use statistics. This may relate both to the common use of these substances in party and nightlife settings, and the amplified and prolonged pharmacological effect by the active metabolite cocaethylene.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.