Occupational attainment, smoking, alcohol intake, and marijuana use: Ethnic-gender differences in the cardia study

Objectives: To evaluate the prospective interrelationship of smoking, alcoh ol intake, marijuana use, and educational and occupational attainment of Bl ack and White young adults. Methods: Logistic or mixed model linear regress ion were used to evaluate relationships between self-reported substance use , ethnicity, gender, college graduation, and four measures of occupational attainment. Results: College graduation in the next 10 years was negatively associated with smoking and marijuana use, but not daily alcohol consumpti on in all ethnic and gender groups. In Whites, marijuana use was associated with less prestigious occupations and lower family income, while smoking w as unrelated and moderate daily drinking was positively associated. In Blac ks, marijuana use was generally unrelated to occupational measures, while s moking and daily alcohol consumption were negatively associated. Conclusion s: Relationships between smoking, marijuana use, daily drinking, and occupa tional attainment were not universally negative in this age group. Substanc e use, particularly smoking, is associated with reduced occupational attain ment in Blacks compared with Whites after considering sociodemographic fact ors potentially limiting educational progression and occupational attainmen t. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd.