Firearm carrying and concurrent substance use behaviours in a community-based sample of emerging adults

Abstract

In this community-based sample of emerging adults, firearm carrying, mostly for protection, was associated with a variety of past-year substance use behaviours. These findings extend previous research and suggest directions for further exploration of the clustering of high-risk behaviours in emerging adults.

Ecological promotive and protective factors deterring gun carriage for young adults living in communities with high rates of community violence

“…A literature review of promotive and protective factors across the ecological model related to gun carriage behaviors in young adult samples (Buschmann et al, 2017; Carter et al, 2020; Felson & Pare, 2010; Lizotte et al, 2000; Miller et al, 2002; Sokol et al, 2020) showed that individual level factors were the most salient. Several studies of both college going and noncollege going young adults found that males were at elevated risk for gun carriage (Buschmann et al, 2017; Miller et al, 2002). Race and ethnicity are related to gun carriage such that ethnic identity is associated with lower likelihood of gun carriage (Feitosa et al, 2017; Wallace et al, 2018).…”

Loaded: Gun involvement among opioid users

“…In another study of 599 emergency department youth patients, alcohol and non-medical sedative use, but not opiates, were associated with more violent incident days against peers in the past month, although gun involvement was not assessed specifically (Stoddard et al, 2015). With respect to gun possession, Ruggles and Rajan (2014) found heroin use and injection drug use to be among the strongest of 55 variables assessed as predictors of gun carrying in adolescents, and Buschmann et al (2017) found prescription medication use associated with gun carrying after controlling for covariates.…”

“…In general population studies, relative to women, men are more likely than women to own a gun (Dimock et al, 2013), threaten others with a gun (Casiano et al, 2008), and die from guns (Fowler et al, 2015). Grounded in prior empirical studies, we also expected persons who used cocaine (e.g., Buschmann et al, 2017), were involved in the criminal justice system (pending legal issues, history of incarceration; e.g., Wintemute et al, 2017), and had poorer self-control (e.g., Sheehan et al, 2013) to report greater gun involvement.…”

Examining Recovery Status and Supports before and after Substance Abuse Disorder Treatment Among Clients Who Experienced Lifetime and Recent Firearm-Related Threats

“…One study found that twice the number of individuals who experienced threats with a weapon as an adolescent reported they perpetrated firearm violence in adulthood (43.8% vs. 20.6%) and almost half of those who had a gunshot injury in adolescence reported perpetrating firearm violence as an adult (48.4%) (Teplin et al, 2021). Other studies have found that victimization as an adolescent was associated with carrying a gun to school or work as an adult (Turner et al, 2016; Wallace, 2017) and carrying a gun is associated with increased substance use (Buschmann et al, 2017) as well as increased risk of firearm victimization and perpetration (Branas, Richmond, Culhane, Ten Have, & Wiebe, 2009; Oliphant et al, 2019). Factors such as aggression tendencies, impulsivity and beliefs regarding violence as well as prior victimization have been associated with later victimization and aggression (Farrell & Zimmerman, 2017).…”

“…Firearm-related risks and substance use are often treated independently; however, firearm-related risks intersect with alcohol and illicit drug use in multiple ways (Branas, Han, & Wiebe, 2016; Buschmann, Prochaska, Baillargeon, & Temple, 2017; Dittmer, Davenport, Oyler, & Bernard, 2021; Lu & Temple, 2020). For example, both impact younger adults (18–30 years old) at higher rates and early involvement in either is associated with negative outcomes in later adulthood (Everytown for Gun Safety, 2020; Grant et al, 2006; Moss, Chen, & Yi, 2014; Parsons, Thompson, Vargas, & Roco, 2018; Teplin et al, 2021).…”