title: Is it important to prevent early exposure to drugs and alcohol among adolescents?
abstract: Exposure to alcohol and illicit drugs during early adolescence has been associated with poor outcomes in adulthood. However, many adolescents with exposure to these substances also have a history of conduct problems, which raises the question of whether early exposure to alcohol and drugs leads to poor outcomes only for those adolescents who are already at risk. In a 30-year prospective study, we tested whether there was evidence that early substance exposure can be a causal factor for adolescents' future lives. After propensity-score matching, early-exposed adolescents remained at an increased risk for a number of poor outcomes. Approximately 50% of adolescents exposed to alcohol and illicit drugs prior to age 15 had no conduct-problem history, yet were still at an increased risk for adult substance dependence, herpes infection, early pregnancy, and crime. Efforts to reduce or delay early substance exposure may prevent a wide range of adult health problems and should not be restricted to adolescents who are already at risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-7085, USA. codgers@uci.edu
authors.forename: Candice L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Odgers
authors.forename: Avshalom
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caspi
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Nagin
authors.forename: Alex R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Piquero
authors.forename: Wendy S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Slutske
authors.forename: Barry J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Milne
authors.forename: Nigel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dickson
authors.forename: Richie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Poulton
authors.forename: Terrie E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Moffitt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D015984:Causality; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D003415:Crime / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006293:Health Promotion; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs