Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2011 May 1;115(1-2):120-30.
doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2010.11.004. Epub 2010 Dec 8.

Probability and predictors of transition from first use to dependence on nicotine, alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine: results of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC)

Catalina Lopez-Quintero  1 , José Pérez de los Cobos, Deborah S Hasin, Mayumi Okuda, Shuai Wang, Bridget F Grant, Carlos Blanco
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Probability and predictors of transition from first use to dependence on nicotine, alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine: results of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC)

Catalina Lopez-Quintero et al. Drug Alcohol Depend. .

Abstract

Background: This study aims to estimate general and racial-ethnic specific cumulative probability of developing dependence among nicotine, alcohol, cannabis or cocaine users, and to identify predictors of transition to substance dependence.

Methods: Analyses were done for the subsample of lifetime nicotine (n=15,918), alcohol (n=28,907), cannabis (n=7389) or cocaine (n=2259) users who participated in the first and second wave of the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Discrete-time survival analyses were implemented to estimate the cumulative probability of transitioning from use to dependence and to identify predictors of transition to dependence.

Results: The cumulative probability estimate of transition to dependence was 67.5% for nicotine users, 22.7% for alcohol users, 20.9% for cocaine users, and 8.9% for cannabis users. Half of the cases of dependence on nicotine, alcohol, cannabis and cocaine were observed approximately 27, 13, 5 and 4 years after use onset, respectively. Significant racial-ethnic differences were observed in the probability of transition to dependence across the four substances. Several predictors of dependence were common across the four substances assessed.

Conclusions: Transition from use to dependence was highest for nicotine users, followed by cocaine, alcohol and cannabis users. Transition to cannabis or cocaine dependence occurred faster than transition to nicotine or alcohol dependence. The existence of common predictors of transition dependence across substances suggests that shared mechanisms are involved. The increased risk of transition to dependence among individuals from minorities or those with psychiatric or dependence comorbidity highlights the importance of promoting outreach and treatment of these populations.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cumulative probability of transitioning to dependence on nicotine, alcohol, cannabis and cocaine among users of these substances
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cumulative probability of transitioning to dependence among nicotine, alcohol, cannabis and cocaine users by racial-ethnic group
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Adinoff B. Neurobiologic processes in drug reward and addiction. Harvard review of psychiatry. 2004;12:305–320. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Agrawal A, Neale MC, Prescott CA, Kendler KS. Cannabis and other illicit drugs: comorbid use and abuse/dependence in males and females. Behavior genetics. 2004;34:217–228. - PubMed
    1. Agrawal A, Pergadia ML, Saccone SF, Hinrichs AL, Lessov-Schlaggar CN, Saccone NL, Neuman RJ, Breslau N, Johnson E, Hatsukami D, Montgomery GW, Heath AC, Martin NG, Goate AM, Rice JP, Bierut LJ, Madden PA. Gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor genes and nicotine dependence: evidence for association from a case-control study. Addiction (Abingdon, England) 2008;103:1027–1038. - PubMed
    1. American Psychiatric Association . Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders : DSM-IV. American Psychiatric Association; Washington, DC: 1994.
    1. Anthony J, Warner L, Kessler R. Comparative epidemiology of dependence on tobacco, alcohol, controlled substances, and inhalants: Basic findings from the National Comorbidity Survey. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology. 1994;2:244–268.

Publication types

MeSH terms