Consequences of Adolescent Drug Use: Impact on the Lives of Young Adults

• NCJ Number: 113031
• Author(s): M D Newcomb; P M Bentler
• Date Published: 1988
• Length: 285 pages
• Grant Number(s): DA01070; DA00017
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Sale Source: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This book assesses the effects of adolescent drug use on young adults, their family formation and stability, deviant behavior, sexual behavior, educational pursuits, livelihood pursuits, mental health, and social integration based on a diversified sample of 654 young adults.

Abstract

It also explores the emotional impact from using such drugs including cocaine, alcohol, and PCP, on young adult development. The authors identify adolescence as a period of experimentation. Thus, they say that delaying drug experimenting as long as possible reduces the chance that experimental drug use becomes heavy drug use. They also suggest that, because experimentation is the norm among adolescents, that drug programs should emphasize reducing the abuse, regular use, and misuse of drugs among teenagers rather than trying to eliminate experimentation. For related chapter, see NCJ-11032. Figures, tables, and 350 references.