title: Substance Use Among Gang Member Adolescents and Young Adults and Associations With Friends and Family Substance Use.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Gang membership is an indicator of chronic substance use. Social network studies indicate that substance use in youth is related to substance use in friends and family; however, no such analyses among gang youth have been conducted.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interviews were conducted with a sample of young gang members (n = 60) in Los Angeles. Univariate analyses were conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cigarette use in gang members was strongly associated with cigarette use in friendship networks. There were no associations for use of alcohol and marijuana.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Few associations emerged between substance use in participants and their friends/family. Possible explanations for these findings are presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, California State University, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Beth R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, California State University, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Nnenna
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Weathers
authors.affiliation: Department of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics, California State University, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Bill
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sanders
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology*; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol; gang member; marijuana; social network analysis; tobacco