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Background: The overall prevalence of U.S. young adult alcohol use has decreased, but little is known about historical change in related behaviors such as simultaneous alcohol and marijuana (SAM) use that may increase alcohol‐related risks and societal costs. The purpose of this paper was to examine historical change in SAM use prevalence among U.S. young adult alcohol users from 1977 to 2016, and consider the extent to which observed historical change in SAM use among alcohol users reflects co‐occurring change in marijuana use during these years. Methods: Data on past 12‐month alcohol, marijuana, and SAM use at up to 6 modal ages (19/20, 21/22, 23/24, 25/26, 27/28, and 29/30) were collected from 11,789 individuals (45.0% men) participating in the Monitoring the Future panel study. Annual prevalence estimates within modal age group were obtained; historical SAM use trends among alcohol and marijuana users were estimated. Results: From 2014 to 2016, SAM use was reported by approximately 30% of alcohol users aged 19/20 and 21/22, and 20 to 25% of alcohol users aged 23/24 through 29/30. Since the mid‐1990s, age‐specific historical trends in SAM use prevalence among alcohol users followed 1 of 4 patterns: significant increase followed by oscillating increases/decreases (at modal age 19/20), consistent and significant increases (at modal ages 21/22, 23/24, and 25/26), stability followed by increase (at modal ages 27/28), or stability (at modal ages 29/30). In contrast, SAM use trends among marijuana users primarily reflected stability, with some evidence of a decrease across time at modal ages 19/20 and 23/24. Historical change in SAM prevalence among alcohol users was strongly and positively correlated with changes in overall marijuana use prevalence. Conclusions: A growing proportion of early and mid‐young adult alcohol users reported SAM use, with the highest risk among those in the early years of young adulthood. Young adult SAM use may continue to increase in proportion to the degree that young adult marijuana use continues to increase. This paper examined historical change in simultaneous alcohol and marijuana (SAM) use prevalence among U.S. young adult alcohol users from 1977‐2016. While the overall prevalence of U.S. young adult alcohol use has decreased, a growing proportion of early and mid‐young adult alcohol users reported SAM use, with the highest risk among those in the early years of young adulthood. Young adult SAM use may continue to increase in proportion to the degree that young adult marijuana use continues to increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper reports findings from the first longitudinal study on the evolution of the physical phenotypes of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and partial FAS (PFAS) from early childhood through adolescence. Methods: The sample consisted of 155 children (78 males and 77 females) born to women recruited at an antenatal clinic serving a Cape Coloured (mixed ancestry) population in Cape Town, South Africa. Two expert FASD dysmorphologists, blind regarding prenatal alcohol exposure, independently evaluated each child's growth and dysmorphology at 4 clinics conducted over an 11‐year period. Case conferences were held to reach consensus regarding which children had FAS or PFAS growth and physical features using the Revised Institute of Medicine (2005) guidelines. Results: The prevalence of the physical phenotype was stable across the 4 ages for about half of the children with FAS and about one‐third of those with PFAS but more variable for the others. Test–retest reliability was substantial for the FAS phenotype, but poorer for PFAS. Two distinct patterns were seen: a "strong phenotype" that was consistently identified and a less consistent one in which dysmorphic features and/or anthropometric deficits fluctuated or diminished with age. The physical phenotype was most apparent during early childhood and least apparent during puberty, due to differences in timing of the growth spurt and the evolving adult face. Short palpebral features and small head circumference diminished with age, flat philtrum fluctuated, while thin vermilion and weight and height restriction were stable. Conclusions: Key facial features that characterize FASD in early childhood diminish or evolve in some individuals, making diagnostic examinations that rely on these characteristics most sensitive during early childhood and school age. Moreover, puberty poses classification problems due to variability in timing of the growth spurt. Given that several features and small head circumference diminished with age, many individuals would be misdiagnosed if only examined at a later age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]