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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Ralph W. Hingson, ScD, MPH¹, Timothy Heeren, PhD², and Michael R. Winter, MPH¹. (1) Youth Alcohol Prevention Center, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany Street, 580, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02118-2526, 301-443-1274, rhingson@mail.nih.gov, (2) Department of Biostatistics, Boston University, School of Public Health, 715 Albany Street, Tablot E424, Boston, MA 02118

Objectives: To examine whether age of first smoking and drug use influences the established associations between starting to drink at younger ages and developing alcohol dependence, dependence at an early age, and chronic relapsing dependence.

Methods: In 2001-2002 the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol Related Conditions completed face to face interviews with a multi stage probability sample of adults ages 18+ N=43,093 response rate 81%. Logistic regression or cox proportional hazard models explored the relations between ages of starting to drink and alcohol dependence outcomes controlling for respondent demographics, childhood anti-social behaviors and depression, family history of alcoholism, and age of first cigarette and drug use.

Results: Whether respondents smoked or used drugs during adolescence were independently associated with ever experiencing alcohol dependence, dependence before age 25, within 10 years of drinking onset, in the past year, and multiple dependence episodes but not with longer episodes of alcohol dependence or more alcohol dependence symptoms among persons ever dependent. However, while the earlier respondents started to drink increased the odds of each alcohol dependence outcome, there were not discernable increases found with earlier ages of first smoking or drug use.

Conclusion: While adolescent smoking and drug use were associated with alcohol dependence and dependence at an early age, the earlier age that adolescents began these behaviors did not increase the risk of alcohol dependence. In contrast the earlier the age of first drinking the greater the likelihood of experiencing alcohol dependence, dependence at an early age and chronic relapsing dependence.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn about the independent association between age of first drinking adolescent drug use and smoking and alcohol dependence, dependence at a young age and chronic relapsing dependence.
• Methods to analyze and assess these relations will be presented.
• Interventions to delay onset of drinking, as well as adolescent drug use and smoking will be identified.

Keywords: Alcohol, Adolescent Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered