Relationships between substance initiation sequence and further substance use: A French nationwide retrospective study

Substance Use Among Middle School Adolescents: Association with Family Members' and Peers' Substance Use and the Mediating Role of School and Mental Difficulties

OBJECTIVE

We assessed the associations of substance (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and other illicit drugs) use of adolescents with that of their family members (father, mother, step-parent, brothers/sisters, and grandparents) and peers, and the mediating role of school and mental difficulties (SMDs) which remained insufficiently addressed.

METHODS

This cross-sectional population-based study included 1,559 middle-school adolescents in France (mean age = 13.5 ± 1.3, 778 boys, 781 girls). They completed a questionnaire including socioeconomic features (nationality, family structure and parents' education, occupation, and income), substance use, cumulative number of substance use of family members (father, mother, step-parent, brothers/sisters, and grandparents) and peers (noted familySUcn and peerSUcn), SMDs (grade repetition, suffered physical/verbal violence, sexual abuse, lack of family/peer support, depressive symptoms, suicide attempt, and age at onset). Data were analyzed using logistic regression models and Kaplan-Meier estimates.

RESULTS

Most adolescents had familySUcn 1-2, 3-5, and ≥ 6 (39.1%, 23.0%, and 4.5%, respectively) and peerSUcn 1-2 and ≥ 3 (36.1% and 13.0%, respectively). Strong dose-effect associations were found between all substance use and familySUcn and peerSUcn (odds ratio adjusted for sex, age, and socioeconomic features reaching 13.44 and 9.90, respectively, most with p < .001). SMDs explained more the associations of all substance use with familySUcn than with peerSUcn (contributions reaching 69% and 34%, respectively). The proportion of subjects without each substance use decreased with age more quickly among the adolescents with higher familySUcn or peerSUcn.

CONCLUSIONS

Early prevention reducing familySUcn, peerSUcn and SMDs among adolescents and their families may reduce efficiently initiation and regular use of substances during adolescents' life course.

Experimenting first with e-cigarettes versus first with cigarettes and transition to daily cigarette use among adolescents: the crucial effect of age at first experiment

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Most studies in English-speaking countries have found a positive association between e-cigarette experimentation and subsequent daily tobacco smoking among adolescents. However, this result may not be valid in other cultural contexts; in addition, few studies have assessed whether this association varies with the subject' age at the time of e-cigarette experimentation. This study aimed to estimate the association between experimenting first with e-cigarette (rather than tobacco) and subsequent daily smoking according to age at the time of experimentation.

DESIGN

Secondary analysis; risk ratios (RRs) computed using modified Poisson regressions with inverse probability weighting.

SETTING

A cross-sectional nation-wide representative survey performed in 2017 in France.

PARTICIPANTS

French adolescents (n = 24 111), aged 17 to 18.5 years, who had previously experimented with either e-cigarettes or tobacco.

MEASURES

Exposure was defined as the experimentation with e-cigarettes first (whether or not followed by experimentation with tobacco); the outcome as daily tobacco smoking at the time of data collection. Gender, age, literacy, socio-economic status, pre-exposure repeat school years and experimentation with drunkeness, 3 licit and 8 illicit drugs were adjusted for. Uncertainties about the sequence of events defining exposure were handled by the definition of three patterns of exposure, to avoid a misclassification bias.

FINDINGS

Exposure reduced the risk of transition to daily smoking: RR = 0.58, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.54, 0.62. This effect increased in a linear manner with age at exposure (RR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.78; 0.98 for 1 year, P < 0.001): from RR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.09; 1.54 at age 9 to RR = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.32; 0.45 at age 17.

CONCLUSIONS

Experimenting with e-cigarettes first (as opposed to tobacco first) appears to be associated with a reduction in the risk of daily tobacco smoking among French adolescents aged 17-18.5, but this risk varies negatively with age at experimentation, and early e-cigarette experimenters are at higher risk.

Cannabis use, subsequent other illicit drug use and drug use disorders: A 16-year follow-up study among Swedish adults

AIMS

To examine the association between cannabis use and subsequent other illicit drug use and drug use disorders (harmful use and dependence).

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS

We used survey data from a population-based cohort in Stockholm County (collected 1998-2000), with linkage to the National Patient Register. The study base comprised participants aged 20-64 years (N = 10 345), followed-up until 2014. Cox and logistic regression analyses were conducted to test associations between self-reported cannabis use and risk of subsequent other illicit drug use (three-year follow-up) and drug use disorders (16-year follow-up).

FINDINGS

The odds ratio (OR) for other illicit drug use onset at three-year follow-up for lifetime cannabis users was 7.00 (4.47-10.35, 95% CI) and for recent cannabis users 34.41 (19.14-61.88, 95% CI). Adjusting for age and AUDIT score attenuated the association, for lifetime users: OR = 5.48 (3.69-8.13, 95% CI) and OR = 5.65 (3.80-8.41, 95% CI), and for recent users: OR = 18.32 (9.88-33.99, 95% CI) and OR = 20.88 (11.19-38.95, 95% CI). For cannabis users only, the hazard ratio (HR) for drug use disorders at 16-year follow-up was 0.89 (0.31-2.61, 95%CI). For cannabis and other illicit drug users, the corresponding HR was 7.27 (3.85-13.75, 95% CI).

CONCLUSIONS

There was no independent association between cannabis use and subsequent drug use disorders. The association with subsequent drug use disorders was rather explained by other illicit drug use, which cannabis users were at higher risk of at the three-year follow-up.

[Use of electronic cigarette in France among adolescents aged 17: Results from the ESCAPAD 2017 survey]

INTRODUCTION

The use of electronic cigarettes has become relatively popular in France since 2010, including among adolescents. However, its use in relation to smoking and other factors is not well understood today.

METHODS

The data come from the ESCAPAD 2017 survey, a nationally representative cross-sectional survey taking place at a 1-day session of civic and military information compulsory for all French nationals around 17 (39,115 respondents). Descriptive analyses and multivariate regressions were undertaken to describe the recent use of e-cigarette at 17 and its associated factors.

RESULTS

e-cigarettes were experimented by 52.4 % of 17 year-olds, and used by 16.8 % in the preceding month, 1.9 % daily. Most recent users were also daily smokers (62.5 %), and only 7.6 % had never experimented cigarettes before. Among those who experimented with both products, only 13.3 % tried e-cigarettes before cigarettes. The associated uses of other products were the most striking factors: daily smoking (relative risk [RR]=2.73), ever use of hookah (RR=2.31), cannabis use in the last year (RR=1.60), regular alcohol drinking (RR=1.20) and ever use of another illicit drug (RR=1.11). Recent vapers that were also daily smokers had a more pronounced sociodemographic profile and a higher level of other drugs consumptions than recent vapers only.

DISCUSSION

Although a majority of French adolescents experiment with vaping, they are fewer to use it regularly and its current use is frequently associated with daily smoking. Future trends and the relationship between smoking and vaping among adolescents will have to be further investigated, including the motivations of its use.

Association between cumulating substances use and cumulating several school, violence and mental health difficulties in early adolescents

Multiple substances (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and other illicit drugs (OID)) have been frequently used in early adolescents maybe due to school, violence and mental-health difficulties. We investigated the associations between substance-use patterns and related difficulties among 1559 middle-school adolescents from north-eastern France (mean age 13.5 ± 1.3). They completed a questionnaire including socioeconomic features, school, violence and mental-health difficulties (school grade repetition, sustained physical/verbal violence, sexual abuse, perpetrated violence, poor social support, depressive symptoms and suicide attempt; cumulated number noted SVMD_score) and the time of their first occurrence during the life course. Data were analyzed using logistic and negative binomial regression models. Alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and OID use affected 35.2, 11.2, 5.6 and 2.8% of the subjects respectively. The risk of using tobacco only, alcohol and tobacco, alcohol plus tobacco and cannabis, or all alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and OID strongly increased with the SVMD_score (socioeconomic features-adjusted odds ratio reaching 85). The risk began in early years in middle schools and then steadily increased, more markedly for elevated SVMD_score. Exposure to several SVMDs may be a transmission vector towards the substance use, starting mostly with alcohol/tobacco, and then shifting to cannabis/OID. These findings help to understand substance-use risk patterns and identify at-risk adolescents.

Physical and psychosocial factors associated with psychostimulant use in a nationally representative sample of French adolescents: Specificities of cocaine, amphetamine, and ecstasy use

PURPOSE

Patterns of psychostimulant (PST) use, psychological and physical factors, and family relationships were investigated in a nationally representative sample of adolescents. The differences between users of cocaine (Cc), ecstasy/MDMA, and amphetamine (EA) were analyzed, taking into account gender differences.

METHODS

Substance use, psychological factors (lifetime suicide attempts, suicidal thoughts in the previous year, visits to a mental health professional), physical factors (health and body shape perceptions (BSP), body mass index (BMI)), and family relationships (existence of disagreements with parents, relationships with mother and father) were investigated in 26,351 17-year-old French adolescents.

RESULTS

Lifetime suicidal behavior was strongly associated with EA use only. Suicidal ideation in the previous year was associated with Cc use among both boys and girls and associated with EA use among girls. Compared to Cc users, more EA users were overweight, while more Cc users were underweight compared to EA users. BSP, BMI, and EA use were related in girls only. Having a good or very good relationship with both mother and father was negatively associated with Cc use in boys and girls. Girls who had a good or very good relationship with their fathers seemed to be less prone to use EA. Boys with a good or very good relationship with their mothers seemed to be less prone to use EA.

CONCLUSION

The results of the present study could serve as a basis for prevention and harm reduction strategies/programs targeting youth use and for the adaptation of these strategies/programs according to substance and gender.

[Monitoring and tackling smoking and other addictions: Current situation and perspectives]

After decades of policies targetting illicit drugs, the French drug addiction policy has progressively switched to incorporate a concept of « addictive behavior », including alchol, tobacco, pharmaceuticals and even behaviors such as gambling. Among the French general population, alcohol and tobacco uses are by far the most important health risk factors, with a very high burden of morbidity and mortality. Illicit drugs have very low prevalences except cannabis, with the highest prevalence in Europe, among adults as well as among adolescents. However, actions have long been implemented to tackle illicit drugs uses, in particular intraveinous drug use regarding its role in the HIV infection, with harm reduction tools such as opioids substitution treatments or needle exchange programs. While continuing this harm reduction policy, public authorities have strengthened measures towards alcohol, and moreover towards tobacco use with many legal and public health improvements. The goals are to reduce tobacco visibility (smoking bans in public places and even in pubs and restaurants), tobacco accessibility (price increase, ban on sales to minors…) and also to develop helps for those who wish to quit. The objective is to « denormalize » tobacco until there is a whole tobacco free generation in 2032 in France. One the one hand, this aim does not seem too irrealistic as the last general population survey results show a recent decrease in the tobacco smoking prevalence, as well as a decrease in social inequalities in tobacco use. One the other hand, the implementation of an harm reduction approach for alcohol, tobacco and cannabis remains to build.