Comparison of Water Pipes vs Other Modes of Cannabis Consumption and Subsequent Illicit Drug Use in a Longitudinal Cohort of Young Swiss Men

Source:

Tsai D, Foster S, Baggio S, Gmel G, Mohler-Kuo M. Comparison of Water Pipes vs Other Modes of Cannabis Consumption and Subsequent Illicit Drug Use in a Longitudinal Cohort of Young Swiss Men. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(4):e213220. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.3220

Key Points

Question  Is there an association between consuming cannabis with a water pipe and later consumption of other illicit drugs?

Findings  In this longitudinal cohort study of 1108 men, both unadjusted and adjusted models showed that consumption of cannabis with a water pipe at baseline was associated with the use of other illicit drugs at follow-up compared with not using a water pipe.

Meaning  Policy campaigns designed to reduce the prevalence and risks associated with cannabis use should not only target cannabis frequency, but also the water pipe route of administration.