Alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco polysubstance use: A latent profile analysis of age of onset

Abstract

Background

Despite understanding the long-term risks associated with early substance use, less is known about the specific patterns of the age of onset (AO) across multiple substances and whether these patterns of early exposure are linked to substance use later in young adulthood. Consequently, the present study sought to (1) identify distinct classes regarding AO for alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco and (2) compare these classes on patterns of individual and simultaneous alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco use, other substance use, and mental health symptoms.

Methods

Participants were 510 emerging adults (M_age = 21.35; 88.6% men) who reported past-year use of alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco.

Results

Latent profile analysis was used to identify classes based on three indicators: AO for alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco. Results revealed that four classes best fit the data: Earliest AO for Alcohol (19.8%); Latest AO for Substances (6.5%); Late AO for Substances (67.8%); Earliest AO for Cannabis and Tobacco (5.9%). Classes varied on current patterns of individual substance use, co-use of substances, other illicit drug use, and mental health symptomology. The Latest AO of Substances class reported the lowest alcohol use, cannabis use, other illicit drug use, and mental health symptomology than the other classes. The Earliest AO for Alcohol and the Late AO of Substances reported a lower frequency of tobacco compared to the other classes. The Late AO of Substance class reported the highest past-year frequency of simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use.

Conclusions

The current study contributed to the larger polysubstance literature by identifying profiles that may signify risky patterns of use. Findings may help guide prevention and intervention work with adolescents and young adults.

Keywords:

• Alcohol
• cannabis
• tobacco
• simultaneous drug use
• age of onset

Disclosure statement

The content herein is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. The funding organization had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by a grant [K01-AA023849] (PI: Cathy Lau-Barraco) from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.