A recent study in The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that people who are not users of illegal drugs, but who live in households of users, are killed at a rate 11 times higher than those who live in drug-free homes.
The study also reported that, in households where one or more members are alcoholics, nondrinkers run a 70 percent greater risk of being killed than nondrinkers in other households.
Earlier studies showed that 40 to 70 percent of homicide victims had alcohol in their blood. Alcohol abuse was also shown to triple the risk of suicide, while those who abuse both alcohol and illegal drugs run a 16.6-times-greater risk for suicide and 12-times-greater risk of being a homicide victim than nonabusers. Those who live with drug users also showed a higher rate of suicide than the general population.
In preparing the report, researchers studied medical examiners' findings on 438 suicides and 388 homicides covering a three- to five-year period, then compared victims' proximity to drug and alcohol abusers with control groups of nearby residents. (Source: The New York Times. ) GN
