Patterns of drug escalation among Philadelphia arrestees: An assessment ofthe gateway theory

Ephemeral stages in the use of licit and illicit substances have been docum ented for several decades. Sophisticated analyses have repeatedly demonstra ted that "gateway" substances, such as alcohol and tobacco, emphasize early roles in a drug-using pathway. Adolescents are unlikely to use marijuana w ithout first using alcohol and tobacco, and will not use more serious drugs , such as cocaine and heroin, without first using marijuana. To date, howev er, most research has focused on non-deviant populations. In the current an alysis, non-recursive path models are estimated on a population of 1,252 ad ult Philadelphia arrestees surveyed through the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitor ing (ADAM) Program. Analyses confirm patterns of drug escalation among arre stees with "soft," "alternative, " and "hard" central nervous system (CNS) modifying drugs. Generalizability and intervention strategies are discussed .