Association between cannabis use and non-traffic injuries

Background: This study aimed to assess the association between cannabis use and unintended non-fatal injuries other than those caused by road crashes. Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected from a nationwide sample of 27,934 subjects surveyed in 2005 in Spain: 14,699 persons aged 15-34 years and 13,235 aged 35-64 years. Logistic regression was used to obtain odds ratios (OR) between patterns of cannabis use and frequency of non-traffic injuries, adjusted for sociodemographic factors and for the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Results: Cannabis use in the last 12 months was associated with a higher frequency of injuries (OR = 1.4; 95% CI: 1.2-1.7). The OR in older adults (35-64 year age group) was 1.8 and 1.3 in younger people (15-34 year age group). The strongest associations found were between weekly use of cannabis and injuries from knocks and bumps (OR = 5.1; 95% CI 2.9-8.9) and those occurring outside work (OR = 3.0; 95% CI 1.8-4.9) in the older adult population. Conclusion: Although our analysis did not control for behavioural factors, cannabis use is independently associated with an increased frequency of non-traffic injuries, especially in the older adult population. These associations emphasise the need to carry out longitudinal studies addressing the causal links between cannabis use and unintended injuries. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.