This study examined the relationship between early inhalant use and later s
ubstance use in a sample of college students. Data were taken from four cam
pus-wide surveys that assessed changes in rates of substance use over time
at a large Southwestern university. Within these surveys. a group of studen
ts (n = 187) who reported early use of inhalants (i.e., before age 18) was
identified and examined in terms of their substance use behavior while in c
ollege (i.e., during the year and month prior to the survey. These students
were compared to two other groups of students: those who reported early us
e of marijuana but no early use of inhalants (n = 1271) and students who re
ported no early use of either inhalants or marijuana (n = 1479). Results sh
ow that early use of either inhalants or marijuana substantially increased
risk of frequent drinking, binge drinking, smoking, illicit drug use, and s
ubstance-related consequences during the college years. However, the early
use of inhalants conferred the greatest risk and was associated with twice
the rate of binge and frequent drinking and significantly greater rates of
tobacco and drug use than early marijuana use alone. Implications of these
findings for intervention and prevention with college students an discussed
. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.