What You Should Know About Holiday Substance Use

Pandemic or no pandemic, as the years winds down, we are likely to see Americans get out of their regular patterns and get into the spirit of the holiday season. Unfortunately, the “holiday spirit” takes on a different meaning when substances are involved. As you may have already guessed, the problematic use of alcohol and drugs tends to rise during holidays and even on weekends.^1,2

Below are some of the patterns of substance misuse that are known to occur during the holidays. If you or someone else in your home has a problem with substance use, you can call us at Dallas Drug Treatment Centers to discuss your treatment options.

1.) Binge Drinking Increases on Holidays and Weekends

 Of all the substance misuse that occurs during the holidays, binge drinking is the single biggest problematic behavior. It’s enough of an issue to significantly increase visits to emergency rooms through accidents, violent altercations, and incidences of self-harm.¹  While Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s are the times when binge drinking campaigns in the US are at their peak, smaller peaks also occur every weekend.^1,2

2.) Young Adults Are The Most at Risk

In the US, young adults aged 18-23 are considered the group most at risk from binge drinking.2 While binge drinking is done by Americans of all ages, young adults are particularly at risk during holidays.² As mentioned earlier, increases in binge drinking are connected with increases in emergency room visits. Given the young age of this group, deaths and lifelong injuries are often particularly tragic.

3.) Holidays Increase Suicide Risks for People With AUD

Americans with alcohol use disorder (AUD) are at an elevated risk of suicide during holidays and weekends.^3,4 The causes for this are likely to be a combination of poor judgment and the exacerbation of mental health issues due to increased alcohol consumption.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has also identified the holidays as a particularly sensitive time for people with mental health issues, which means alcohol use may increase their suicide risks even if they don’t have a current AUD diagnosis.⁵

4.) Drug Use Increases Unevenly

Alcohol is not the only substance widely misused during holidays. Community wastewater analysis has become an invaluable method for tracking which drugs are being most used by a local population at a given time. Two different wastewater analysis studies specific to holiday drug consumption in Kentucky and Australia have demonstrated that drug use goes up precipitously during weekends and especially during holidays.^6,7

Interestingly, in both studies, while the use of most drugs increased, the use of stimulant drugs like cocaine and amphetamines and “party drugs” like MDMA received the largest bump, consistently over twice their weekday consumption rates.^6,7 This is likely due to a higher rate of recreational use during these periods. As with alcohol, this increase in drug use is responsible for an increase in emergency room visits during this period.⁸

5.) Holiday Substance Misuse is a Global Problem

Though there may be slight differences in specific use patterns, the rise in substance misuse is a global phenomenon that likely affects all cultures. A meta-analysis of substance use disorder and treatment has identified increases in substance misuse during holidays and other special observances like funerals as being universal.⁹ In all the analyzed studies, alcohol is the most misused substance across cultures, by far.

Find Help for Seasonal Substance Misuse

Binge drinking and seasonal drug use may be a sign of a deeper problem. If you or someone you’re close to exhibits this kind of behavior during the holidays or weekends, it may be time to seek professional help. Call our team at +1(214) 935-2287 to discuss your recovery options.

Resources:

1. Griffin, E., Dillon, C. B., O’Regan, G., Corcoran, P., Perry, I. J., & Arensman, E. (2017). The paradox of public holidays: Hospital-treated self-harm and associated factors. Journal of affective disorders, 218, 30-34.

2. Reich, R. R., Cummings, J. R., Greenbaum, P. E., Moltisanti, A. J., & Goldman, M. S. (2015). The temporal “pulse” of drinking: Tracking 5 years of binge drinking in emerging adults. Journal of abnormal psychology, 124(3), 635.

3. Brådvik, L., & Berglund, M. (2003). A suicide peak after weekends and holidays in patients with alcohol dependence. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 33(2), 186-191.

4. Beauchamp, G. A., Ho, M. L., & Yin, S. (2014). Variation in suicide occurrence by day and during major American holidays. The Journal of emergency medicine, 46(6), 776-781.

5. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2020, April). Recognizing Holiday Triggers of Trauma.

6. Foppe, K. S., Hammond-Weinberger, D. R., & Subedi, B. (2018). Estimation of the consumption of illicit drugs during special events in two communities in Western Kentucky, USA using sewage epidemiology. Science of the Total Environment, 633, 249-256.

7. Lai, F. Y., Bruno, R., Hall, W., Gartner, C., Ort, C., Kirkbride, P., … & Mueller, J. F. (2013). Profiles of illicit drug use during annual key holiday and control periods in Australia: wastewater analysis in an urban, a semi‐rural and a vacation area. Addiction, 108(3), 556-565.

8. Elder, J. W., Wu, E. F., Chenoweth, J. A., Holmes, J. F., Parikh, A. K., Moulin, A. K., … & Richards, J. R. (2020). Emergency department screening for unhealthy alcohol and drug use with a brief tablet-based questionnaire. Emergency Medicine International, 2020.

9. Tran, B. X., Moir, M., Latkin, C. A., Hall, B. J., Nguyen, C. T., Ha, G. H., … & Ho, R. C. (2019). Global research mapping of substance use disorder and treatment1971–2017: implications for priority setting. Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy, 14(1), 1-14.