ABSTRACT. Objective: There have been confl icting fi ndings in the literature concerning the risks to adolescents when parents provide them with alcohol. Studies have examined various ways in which parents directly affect adolescent alcohol consumption through provision (e.g., parental offers, parental allowance/supervision, parental presence while drinking, and parental supply). This review synthesizes fi ndings on the direct ways parental provision can infl uence a child's alcohol consumption and related problems in an effort to provide parents with sciencebased guidance. We describe potential mechanisms of the relationship between these parental infl uences and adolescent problems, suggest future directions for research, and discuss implications for parents. Method: Twenty-two studies (a mix of cross-sectional and longitudinal) that empirically examined the association between parental provision and adolescent drinking outcomes were reviewed. Results: Parental provision was generally associated with increased adolescent alcohol use and, in some instances, increased heavy episodic drinking as well as higher rates of alcohol-related problems. Data in support of the view that parental provision serves as a protective factor in the face of other risk factors were equivocal. Conclusions: The nature and extent of the risks associated with parental provision, and the potential mechanisms underlying this association, are complex issues. Although more rigorous studies with longitudinal designs are needed, parents should be aware of potential risks associated with providing adolescents with alcohol and a place to drink. It is recommended that parents discourage drinking until adolescents reach legal age. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 75, 590-605, 2014)

Nonmedical use of prescription stimulants and analgesics was assessed from personal interviews with a stratified random sample of 1,253 first-year college students aged 17 to 20 attending a large public university (86% response rate). Lifetime and past-year prevalence of nonmedical use of stimulants and/or analgesics was 19.6%wt and 15.5%wt, respectively. Nonmedical users had significantly lower grade point averages (GPAs) in high school as compared with nonusers; in college they skipped classes more often, spent more time socializing, and spent less time studying. For example, nonmedical users of both stimulants and analgesics skipped 21% of their college classes whereas nonusers skipped 9%. Controlling for high school GPA and other factors, past-year nonmedical use independently predicted lower college GPA by the end of the first year of college; this effect was partially mediated by skipping more classes. Nonmedical users of prescription drugs comprise a high-risk group for academic problems in college.

ABSTRACT. Objective: Few longitudinal studies have examined the relationship between illicit drug use and academic outcomes among college students. This study characterized drug use patterns of a cohort of young adults who were originally enrolled as fi rst-time, fi rst-year college students in a longitudinal study. It evaluated the association between these drug use patterns and continuous enrollment during college, holding constant demographic characteristics, high school grade point average, fraternity/sorority involvement, personality/temperament characteristics, nicotine dependence, and alcohol use disorder. Method: Participants (n = 1,133; 47% male) were purposively selected from one university and interviewed annually for 4 years, beginning with their fi rst year of college, regardless of continued college attendance. Enrollment data were culled from administrative records. Group-based trajectory analyses characterized 4-year longitudinal drug use patterns. Two grouping variables were derived based on (a) marijuana use frequency and (b) number of illicit drugs used other than marijuana. Seventy-one percent of the sample was continuously enrolled in the home institution during the fi rst 4 years of study. Results: Multivariable logistic regression models demonstrated that infrequent, increasing, and chronic/heavy marijuana use patterns were signifi cantly associated with discontinuous enrollment (adjusted odds ratio = 1.66, 1.74, and 1.99, respectively), compared with minimal use, holding constant covariates. In separate models, drug use other than marijuana also was signifi cantly associated with discontinuous enrollment. Conclusions: Marijuana use and other illicit drug use are both associated with a decreased likelihood of continuous enrollment in college, independent of several other possible risk factors. These fi ndings highlight the need for early intervention with illicit drug users to mitigate possible negative academic consequences. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 74, 71-83, 2013)