TY - JOUR
T1 - High prevalence rates of tobacco, alcohol and drug use in adolescents and young adults in France
T2 - Results from the GAZEL Youth study
AU - Melchior, Maria
AU - Chastang, Jean François
AU - Goldberg, Pâquerette
AU - Fombonne, Eric
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors received funding from the French Institute of Medical Research (INSERM-CNRS: Sociobiomedical Research Program) and the National Institute of Mental Health. The authors thank all youths of the GAZEL Youth study and their parents who facilitated data collection. Additionally, we are grateful to Louise Arseneault and Bertrand Redonnet for the many insightful comments on previous versions of the manuscript.
PY - 2008/1
Y1 - 2008/1
N2 - Background: Rates of substance use among adolescents have increased in the 1990s, however little is known about current patterns of substance use among youths entering adulthood. Methods: We studied sex and age-specific rates of substance use (tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, other illicit drugs, inhalants and psychotropic medications) in a large sample of French youths aged 12-26 years (the GAZEL Youth study, n = 1333). Results: Prevalence rates of substance use were high and varied with age and sex. Tobacco, cannabis and polysubstance use were most frequent among 19-21 year-olds (regular tobacco use: 41.5% in males, 39.9% in females; regular cannabis use: respectively 23.9% and 10.9%; tobacco + alcohol + cannabis: respectively 9.9% and 4.6%). Regular alcohol use was most frequent among 22-26 year-olds (29.8% in males, 15.6% in females). Across successive birth cohorts, the age of initiation of tobacco and cannabis use decreased. Males were consistently more likely to use psychoactive substances than females (except for tobacco and psychotropic medications). Conclusions: Rates of substance abuse peak in late adolescence but remain high among a subgroup of young adults. Moreover, substance use initiation appears to be occurring at increasingly younger ages.
AB - Background: Rates of substance use among adolescents have increased in the 1990s, however little is known about current patterns of substance use among youths entering adulthood. Methods: We studied sex and age-specific rates of substance use (tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, other illicit drugs, inhalants and psychotropic medications) in a large sample of French youths aged 12-26 years (the GAZEL Youth study, n = 1333). Results: Prevalence rates of substance use were high and varied with age and sex. Tobacco, cannabis and polysubstance use were most frequent among 19-21 year-olds (regular tobacco use: 41.5% in males, 39.9% in females; regular cannabis use: respectively 23.9% and 10.9%; tobacco + alcohol + cannabis: respectively 9.9% and 4.6%). Regular alcohol use was most frequent among 22-26 year-olds (29.8% in males, 15.6% in females). Across successive birth cohorts, the age of initiation of tobacco and cannabis use decreased. Males were consistently more likely to use psychoactive substances than females (except for tobacco and psychotropic medications). Conclusions: Rates of substance abuse peak in late adolescence but remain high among a subgroup of young adults. Moreover, substance use initiation appears to be occurring at increasingly younger ages.
KW - Adolescents
KW - Alcohol
KW - Cannabis
KW - Epidemiology
KW - Illicit drugs
KW - Young adults
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U2 - 10.1016/j.addbeh.2007.09.009
DO - 10.1016/j.addbeh.2007.09.009
M3 - Article
C2 - 17919830
AN - SCOPUS:35948966386
SN - 0306-4603
VL - 33
SP - 122
EP - 133
JO - Addictive Behaviors
JF - Addictive Behaviors
IS - 1
ER -