According to a study published in Annals of Family Medicine, more than 50 percent of patients who report recreational weekend-only drug use end up using drugs throughout the week as time passes. This conclusion comes from researchers from Boston University who conducted the study.

Researchers followed 483 patients at Boston Medical Center over a six month period. All patients in this group reported using drugs within the previous month, but all claim it was just a weekend habit. At their six month follow up, it was found that only 19 percent of the patients were still only using on the weekends, while 52 percent had extended their habit into the work week.

The study points out that physicians should be monitoring all drug users, even if they claim to only be using for recreational purposes. It is a responsibility of a physician to look out for the patients best interest and warn them of the dangers of using addictive substances. Periodic monitoring can easily be done by a simple screening and just a few questions. Monitoring and screening are key in early intervention and should be utilized.