Smoking, Drinking, and Drug Use in Young Adulthood: The Impacts of New Freedoms and New Responsibilities / Edition 1

by Jerald G. Bachman, Katherine N. Wadsworth, Patrick M. O'Malley, Lloyd D. Johnston, John E. Schulenberg

Overview

Why do some young adults substantially change their patterns of smoking, drinking, or illicit drug use after graduating from high school? In this book, the authors show that leaving high school and leaving home create new freedoms that are linked to increases in the use of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine. They also show that marriage, pregnancy, and parenthood create new responsibilities that are linked to decreases in drug use.

The research is based on more than 33,000 young people followed from high school through young adulthood by the nationwide Monitoring the Future project. Every two years, participants reported on their drug use, as well as their schooling, employment, military service, living arrangements, marriages, pregnancies, parenthood, and even their divorces.

The unique qualities of this research—large nationally representative samples, follow-ups extending up to 14 years beyond high school, and multiple approaches to analysis and data presentation—allowed the examination of several important influences simultaneously, while retaining much of the rich detail encountered in the real world. On the whole, the results are encouraging, suggesting that the potentials for change and improvement during the transition to adulthood are as important as the detrimental effects of problem behavior in adolescence. This research is a "must" read for anyone concerned with how new freedoms and responsibilities impact adolescents, young adults, and the use of licit and illicit drugs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780805827323
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	01/01/1997
Series:	Research Monographs in Adolescence Series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Bachman, Jerald G.; Wadsworth, Katherine N.; O'Malley, Patrick M.; Johnston, Lloyd D.; Schulenberg, John E.

Table of Contents

Contents: Preface. Introduction and Overview. Reviewing the Influence of Social Roles on Drug Use During the Transition to Young Adulthood. Examining Roles and Experiences During the Post-High School Years—Sample Characteristics and Analysis Strategy. Changes in Cigarette Use. Changes in Alcohol Use. Changes in Marijuana Use. Changes in Cocaine Use. Summary, Conclusions, and Implications.

Editorial Reviews

"Your book and the statistics compiled therein are assisting me and 22 other state attorney generals in our pursuit of the tobacco industry to recoup billions of dollars spent by the taxpayers to pay the medicaid costs incurred as a result of death and illness caused by tobacco. Your studies are contributing to the demise of political support of the tobacco industry. My actions, coupled with the ammunition supplied in part by your work, will result in new measures to curtail smoking by our children and begin to tackle this health catastrophe in our country. Your book is a must-read for all government officials litigating against the tobacco industry."
—Frank J. Kelley
Attorney General, State of Michigan

From the Publisher