NCJ Number
156658
Journal
Journal of Abnormal Psychology Volume: 101 Issue: 3 Dated: (1992) Pages: 441-451
Date Published
1992
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study used a longitudinal version of scalogram analysis to examine drug use sequences among 4,415 California and Oregon adolescents during the years between 7th and 10th grades, when vulnerability to peer pressure increases and peer conformity to antisocial behaviors peaks.
Abstract
The results support the robustness of the general ordering of legal and illegal substances observed in the 1970's; initial use of legal drugs, i.e., alcohol and cigarettes, was usually followed by marijuana and harder drugs. Increased involvement with the gateway drugs preceded use of most hard drugs, particularly among non- Hispanic white youth. For most youths, regular alcohol use was a step along the drug involvement scale. There was no evidence that, despite its increasing availability during the study period, cocaine had attained the status of a gateway drug. Cocaine use followed initiation of each gateway drug and increased involvement with alcohol and initial use of pills. The study provided little rationale for tailoring primary prevention programs to different ethnic groups; where ethnic differences in drug use sequences arose, it was in relation to later stages of use. 5 tables, 15 notes, 62 references, and 2 appendixes