NCJ Number
177959
Date Published
1998
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This study examined progressive relations among adolescent use of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana using latent growth curve analyses, as part of a longitudinal investigation of family factors influencing adolescent substance use.
Abstract
The original study sample consisted of 763 families, 368 single-parent families and 395 families in which adults were either married or living in a committed relationship. All families contained at least one adolescent between 11 and 15 years of age, and the number of adolescents totaled 374 males and 389 females. The study analyzed three areas: (1) effect of prior cigarette use on alcohol use and development and relationship between change in cigarette use and development of alcohol use (115 adolescents); (2) effect of prior alcohol use on cigarette use and development and relationship between change in alcohol use and development of cigarette use (199 adolescents); and (3) effect of prior alcohol and cigarette use on marijuana use and development and relationship between change in alcohol use and cigarette use and development of marijuana use (287 adolescents). Findings demonstrated a relationship between prior levels of substance use and involvement in other substances. In particular, cigarette use was associated with subsequent involvement with alcohol and marijuana. The level of cigarette use predicted subsequent levels of alcohol use 1 year later among previous nonusers of alcohol. In addition, over a 4-year period, adolescents who increased their cigarette use also developed at a faster rate in their alcohol use. 38 references, 4 tables, and 1 figure