Effect of age of drinking onset on patterns of alcohol, tobacco, marihuana, stimulants and hallucinogens use, during young adulthood

PILATTI A; FERNÁNDEZ CALDERON F; BONINO P; ENSINCK ATIENZA G; RIVAROLA MONTEJANO G; PAUTASSI R.M.

Valencia

Congreso; 15th Congress of the European Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism (ESBRA); 2015

European Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism (ESBRA)

The age of alcohol drinking onset (DO) is a vulnerability factor foralcohol-related problems, including alcohol abuse and dependence.Less is known on the effects of an early DO on subsequent use of illegal substances. This study analyzed the impact of DO on current patterns of alcohol, tobacco, marihuana, stimulants and hallucinogensuse. Participants (n = 382; 35.9% men), aged 18-30 years old (Meanage = 22.83 ± 3.10), completed an online survey assessing lifetime, lastyear, and last month use of alcohol, tobacco, marihuana, stimulants(cocaine, free-base, cocaine, amphetamines), hallucinogens (ecstasies,LSD, mushrooms), and depressants (heroin and non-prescription tranquilizers) substances. The majority used alcohol (94%) in the previousyear, followed by marihuana (59%) and tobacco (50%). Last yearprevalence of hallucinogen, stimulants, and depressants were 23%,12%, and 5%, respectively. We identified, via Latent Class Analysis,three patterns of substance use. Class 1 (n = 163, 43%) had a highprobability of concurrent use of alcohol, tobacco and marihuana; Participants in Class 2 (n = 127, 33%) had an elevated probability of onlyconsuming alcohol. Class 3 (n = 92, 24%), exhibited a high probability of using all substances (alcohol, tobacco, marihuana, stimulants,and hallucinogens). An ANOVA indicated earlier onset of alcoholdrinking (F2,376 =11.31; p≤ .001) in participants from classes 1(Mean age of DO = 14.39 ± 1.58) and 3 (Mean age of DO = 14.02 ±2.64), when compared with those of class 2 (Mean age of DO = 15.09± 2.99). These results meet the hypotheses of the gateway model,which postulates that early onset of use of alcohol increases the riskof subsequent use of illegal substances.