Multiple-Drug Use among High School Students

Abstract

A survey of tobacco, alcohol and marijuana use was completed by 309 high school students in a rural midwestern county. Frequencies of use of these drugs were similar to data obtained in urban coastal populations. Significant multi-drug-use patterns were identified. Most drug use began at ages 14 or 15 and occurred in social situations implicating social factors as primary determinants of adolescents' drug use.

Drug Use Amongst Peers: peer pressure or peer preference?

“…Not surprisingly, they found that friends' drug use and peer deviance differentiated among the four categories of drug use, but also that a nonconventional personality as measured by tolerance of deviance and rebelliousness differentiated in the same way. Eisterhold et al (1979) and Yancy et al (1972) reported that a majority of adolescents who had tried marijuana gave curiousity as their principal reason. Austin (1988) also noted that character was more important than peer use in predicting which adolescents would use drugs, and found that drug use in early adolescence was related to concurrent and pre-school personality characteristics.…”

Social and Personal Determinants of Adolescent Use and Abuse of Alcohol and Marijuana

“…Although only 2 percent of adolescents reported having parents who use marijuana, Eisterhold, Murphy, Beneke, and Scott (1979) found only 16 percent reported having parents who did not use alcohol. Parental use of these drugs was significantly related to the child's use of the same drug.…”

“…The evidence is conclusive that peer support and instruction is responsible for a substantial percent of initial adolescent marijuana use (Adler & Lotecka, 1973;Kandel, 1980;Lawrence & Velleman, 1974;Sadava & Forsyth, 1977). Eisterhold et al (1979) found that 52 percent of the 42.6 percent who reported ever using marijuana did so at the suggestion of a friend. Lucas (1978) determined that " .…”

“…(Huba, Wingard, & Bentler, 1980, p. 277). Current marijuana users most frequently consume within a group of one to three friends (Eisterhold et al, 1979;NIAAA, 1974).…”

Adolescent chemical substance use and abuse : environmental and personal determinants, and a proposed model for group intervention

“…Concrerns about being arrested do not deter adolescents who have a positive attitude towai:d the act of drug use (Cook et al, 1980 (Eisterhold et al, 1979).…”