Patterns of drug escalation among Philadelphia arrestees: an assessment of the gateway theory

Ephemeral stages in the use of licit and illicit substances have been documented for several decades. Sophisticated analyses have repeatedly demonstrated that 'gateway' substances, such as alcohol and tobacco, emphasize early roles in a drug-using pathway. Adolescents are unlikely to use marijuana without first using alcohol and tobacco, and will not use more serious drugs, such as cocaine and heroin, without first using marijuana. To date, however, most research has focused on non-deviant populations. In the current analysis, non-recursive path models are estimated on a population of 1,252 adult Philadelphia arrestees surveyed through the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) Program. Analyses confirm patterns of drug escalation among arrestees with 'soft,' 'alternative,' and 'hard' central nervous system (CNS) modifying drugs. Generalizability and intervention strategies are discussed.