TY - JOUR
T1 - Trends among U.S. High School Seniors in Recent Marijuana Use and Associations with Other Substances
T2 - 1976-2013
AU - Lanza, Stephanie T.
AU - Vasilenko, Sara A.
AU - Dziak, John J.
AU - Butera, Nicole M.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by awards P50-DA010075 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and R01-CA168676 from the National Cancer Institute .
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine.
PY - 2015/8/1
Y1 - 2015/8/1
N2 - Purpose The purpose of this study was to describe historical trends in rates of recent substance use and associations between marijuana and other substances, among U.S. high school seniors by race and gender. Methods Data from Monitoring the Future (1976-2013; N = 599,109) were used to estimate historical trends in alcohol use, heavy episodic drinking (HED), cigarette use, and marijuana use. We used time-varying effect models to flexibly estimate changes in associations of substance use behaviors. Results Past-month marijuana use rates peaked in the 1970s, declined through 1990, then rose again to reach levels of use of more than 20% for both black and white participants. Recent years show increasing disparities across groups such that males, and in particular black youth, are on a trajectory toward higher use. This rise in marijuana use is particularly concerning among black youth, with rates far exceeding those for cigarette use and HED. The association of marijuana use with both cigarette use and HED is particularly high in recent years among black adolescents. Conclusions Substance use recently declined among high school seniors, except for marijuana use, particularly among black youth. The increasing association between marijuana and other substances among black adolescents suggests future amplification in critical health disparities.
AB - Purpose The purpose of this study was to describe historical trends in rates of recent substance use and associations between marijuana and other substances, among U.S. high school seniors by race and gender. Methods Data from Monitoring the Future (1976-2013; N = 599,109) were used to estimate historical trends in alcohol use, heavy episodic drinking (HED), cigarette use, and marijuana use. We used time-varying effect models to flexibly estimate changes in associations of substance use behaviors. Results Past-month marijuana use rates peaked in the 1970s, declined through 1990, then rose again to reach levels of use of more than 20% for both black and white participants. Recent years show increasing disparities across groups such that males, and in particular black youth, are on a trajectory toward higher use. This rise in marijuana use is particularly concerning among black youth, with rates far exceeding those for cigarette use and HED. The association of marijuana use with both cigarette use and HED is particularly high in recent years among black adolescents. Conclusions Substance use recently declined among high school seniors, except for marijuana use, particularly among black youth. The increasing association between marijuana and other substances among black adolescents suggests future amplification in critical health disparities.
KW - Adolescent substance use
KW - Marijuana use
KW - Time-varying effect model
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.04.006
DO - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.04.006
M3 - Article
C2 - 26206440
AN - SCOPUS:84937411303
SN - 1054-139X
VL - 57
SP - 198
EP - 204
JO - Journal of Adolescent Health
JF - Journal of Adolescent Health
IS - 2
ER -