THE INFLUENCE OF PEER AFFILIATION AND STUDENT ACTIVITIES ON ADOLESCENT DRUG INVOLVEMENT

This study examined the importance of students' academic performance l evel and extracurricular activities as predictors of drug involvement relative to peer influence. Social development theory provided the the oretical rational for the study. Data were obtained from 2,229 randoml y selected students in the eighth, tenth, and twelfth grades from seve nteen school districts in northeastern Ohio. At all three grade levels , involvement in extracurricular activities and academic level were si gnificantly correlated with students' gateway and hard drug use. Consi stent with prior research, the strongest correlate of gateway and hard drug use across all grade levels was affiliation with drug-using frie nds. Having a job after school was marginally related to self-reported gateway drug use at grade level ten. Multiple regression analysis rev ealed that extracurricular involvement and academic performance level make small, but unique contributions to the prediction of adolescents' gateway drug use beyond affiliation with drug-using peers at all thre e grade levels. The findings of this study suggest that students' acad emic performance and extracurricular involvements are significantly re lated to adolescent gateway and hard drug use, but have less predictiv e significance relative to peer relationships.