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. 2013 Nov 1;133(1):71-9.
doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.05.031. Epub 2013 Jun 24.

Simultaneous alcohol and marijuana use among U.S. high school seniors from 1976 to 2011: trends, reasons, and situations

Yvonne M Terry-McElrath  1 , Patrick M O'Malley, Lloyd D Johnston
Affiliations

Simultaneous alcohol and marijuana use among U.S. high school seniors from 1976 to 2011: trends, reasons, and situations

Yvonne M Terry-McElrath et al. Drug Alcohol Depend. .

Abstract

Background: Simultaneous alcohol and marijuana (SAM) use raises significant concern due to the potential for additive or interactive psychopharmacological effects. However, no nationally representative studies are available that document prevalence, trends, or related factors in US youth SAM use.

Methods: Nationally representative cross-sectional samples of 12th grade students surveyed in the Monitoring the Future project from 1976 to 2011 provided data on SAM use. Analyses were conducted in 2012.

Results: In 2011, 23% of all U.S. high school seniors reported any SAM use. Among seniors reporting any past 12-month marijuana use, 62% reported any SAM use and 13% reported SAM use most or every time they used marijuana. SAM use consistently followed trends for past 30-day alcohol use over time. SAM use showed significant variation by psychosocial and demographic characteristics and was strongly associated with higher substance use levels, but occurred across the substance use spectrum. Certain reasons for alcohol or marijuana use (to increase effects of another drug; I'm hooked) and situations of alcohol or marijuana use (park/beach, car, party) were strongly associated with SAM use.

Conclusions: A sizable proportion of US high school seniors reported SAM use, and it appeared to occur frequently in social use situations that could impact both the public as well as youth drug users. SAM use appears to be a complex behavior that is incidental to general substance use patterns as well as associated with (a) specific simultaneous reasons (or expectancies), and (b) heavy substance use and perceived dependence, especially on alcohol.

Keywords: Adolescent; Alcohol; Marijuana; Simultaneous drug use.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: All authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Trends in Past 30-Day Alcohol and Marijuana Use Prevalence and Simultaneous Use of Both Substances among High School Seniors Reporting Any Past 12-Month Marijuana Use, 1976–2011 Notes: “Simultaneous use” indicates simultaneous use of alcohol and marijuana in the past 12 months.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Relationship between Past 12-Month Substance Use Frequency and Simultaneous Alcohol and Marijuana Use Most/Every Time among High School Seniors Reporting Any Past 12-Month Marijuana Use, 1976–2011 Notes: N (unweighted) = 34,850.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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