Patterns of Polydrug Use in Adolescent Alcohol Abusers

It is clear that alcohol abuse by adolescents rarely exists today without the concurrent use of other drugs. Little is known, however, about the extent and patterns of polydrug use in clinical samples of adolescent alcohol abusers. The present study examined patterns and correlates of polydrug use in 72 adolescents admitted to an inpatient treatment unit with a diagnosis of alcohol abuse. The degree of lifetime involvement with 10 different drug classes was assessed in a clinical interview. Ninety-six percent of subjects reported use of drugs other than alcohol, and there were substantial rates of use for most drug classes. Males and females did not differ in the percentage of subjects who used different drug classes or in severity of involvement ratings for these drug classes. The data suggest a consistent ordering of drug classes, such that the use of drug classes later in this order was rare in the absence of the use of drug classes earlier in the order. The data suggest that polydrug use characterizes the large majority of adolescent alcohol abusers, and that such use is often quite extensive. Implications for assessment and treatment are discussed.