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Background: Alcohol and marijuana are the most commonly used substances among adolescents but little is known about patterns of co-use.Objectives: This study examined patterns of concurrent (not overlapping) and simultaneous (overlapping) use of alcohol and marijuana among adolescents.Methods: Data from US-national samples of 12th graders (N = 84,805, 48.4% female) who participated in the Monitoring the Future study from 1976 to 2016 and who used alcohol and/or marijuana in the past 12 months were used to identify latent classes of alcohol use, marijuana use, and simultaneous alcohol and marijuana (SAM) use.Results: A four-class solution indicated four patterns of use among adolescents: (1) Simultaneous alcohol and marijuana (SAM) use with binge drinking and recent marijuana use (SAM-Heavier Use; 11.2%); (2) SAM use without binge drinking and with recent marijuana use (SAM-Lighter Use; 21.6%); (3) Marijuana use and alcohol use but no SAM use (Concurrent Use; 10.7%); and (4) Alcohol use but no marijuana or SAM use (Alcohol-Only Use; 56.4%). Membership in either SAM use class was associated with a higher likelihood of truancy, evenings out, and use of illicit drugs other than marijuana. SAM-Heavier Use, compared to SAM-Lighter Use, class members were more likely to report these behaviors and be male, and less likely to have college plans.Conclusions: Among 12th graders who use both alcohol and marijuana, the majority use simultaneously, although not all use heavily. Given the recognized increased public health risks associated with simultaneous use, adolescent prevention programming should include focus on particular risks of simultaneous use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationship between student substance use and school-level parental involvement as reported by administrators. Questionnaires were administered to school administrators and 111,652 students in 1,011 U.S. schools. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses conducted on 1998–2003 data from students and administrators indicate significantly lower prevalence of alcohol use among eighth-graders in schools where administrators reported high parental involvement. Overall, administrators’ reports of high parental involvement were unrelated to prevalence of substance use among tenth-graders and were associated with higher prevalence of alcohol use among twelfth-graders. Implications and limitations are discussed, along with suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polysubstance use in adolescence is a known precursor to chronic substance misuse. Identifying risk factors for polysubstance use is necessary to inform its prevention. The present study examined the association of elevated levels of multiple mental health symptoms with adolescents' engagement in polysubstance use (past month use of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana). In a US national sample of 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students from Monitoring the Future surveys, we estimated probability of polysubstance use associated with high levels of depressive symptoms (DS), conduct problems (CP), or both. DS and CP, alone and particularly in combination, were associated with drastically elevated probability of polysubstance use. Adolescents with high levels of both DS and CP had the highest probability of polysubstance use. Among 8th and 10th graders, probability of polysubstance use associated with co-occurring mental health problems was significantly higher for girls than boys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the study on how religious are American Black and Hispanic adolescents and if religiosity protects Black and Hispanic young people from substances abuse in the U.S. The study shows that majority of 10th graders are religious and a third or more might be considered very religious. The results further suggest that Black 10th graders are significantly more religious than White and Hispanic. It shows that religion does protect Black and Hispanic youth from substance abuse.

This report uses data from a nationally representative longitudinal sample to examine the relationship of marijuana use by high school seniors to occupational attainment 10 years later. Analyses were conducted separately by gender, with and without controlling for other variables. Control variables, all measured when respondents were seniors, were: academic performance, educational aspirations, and occupational aspirations. Results indicate that the influence of marijuana use on occupational attainment is considerably different for males and females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]