High-risk behaviors associated with early smoking: Results from a 5-year follow-up

Purpose: To compare grade 7 nonsmokers, experimenters, and smokers on the b asis of prevalence of other problem behaviors at both grade 7 and grade 12. Methods: Based on longitudinal self-report data from 4327 California and Or egon students, we used logistic regression to develop weighted estimates of the prevalence of academic difficulties, substance use, and delinquent beh avior within the three smoking status groups at grades 7 and 12. Huber vari ance estimates, which adjust for weighting and clustering of observations, were used to assess the statistical significance of differences across grou ps. Results: Compared with nonsmokers, early smokers were at least 3 times more likely by grade 12 to regularly use tobacco and marijuana, use hard drugs, sell drugs, have multiple drug problems, drop out of school, and experienc e early pregnancy and parenthood. These adolescents were also at higher ris k for low;academic achievement and behavioral problems at school, stealing and other delinquent behaviors, and use of predatory and relational violenc e. Early experimenters were;at significantly greater risk for these problem s as well, although to a lesser extent than smokers. Importantly, the highe r risk among experimenters and smokers of experiencing many of these proble ms was evident as early as grade 7. Conclusions: Early experimenters and smokers are more likely than nonsmoker s to experience various problem behaviors by grade 12, with many of these p roblems evident as early as grade 7. Results suggest that substance use pro grams that target multiple problems in addition to smoking may be most effe ctive for these high-risk adolescents. (C) Society for Adolescent Medicine, 2001.