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Recreational drugs 'can more than double' the risk of stroke
The Guardian
|March 09, 2026
Recreational drugs can more than double the risk of stroke, with some of the most concerning impacts seen among younger people, a major review suggests.
Scientists analysed medical data from more than 100 million people and found that the risk of stroke was 122% higher for amphetamine users and 96% higher for cocaine users compared with those who did not take the drugs. Cannabis users were also at greater risk, suffering 37% more strokes than nonusers, the review found, though researchers saw no evidence that opioids, a highly addictive painkiller, added to a person’s risk of stroke.
The rise in strokes observed in connection with some drugs was not confined to older people. When researchers focused on under-55s, they saw a near tripling in stroke risk among amphetamine users.
This story is from the March 09, 2026 edition of The Guardian.
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