The Harvard Twin Study of Substance Abuse was carried out with the members
of the Vietnam Era Twin (VET) Registry. The VET Registry comprises over 800
0 male twins who served in the United States military between 1965 and 1975
and were subsequently interviewed regarding their use of licit and illicit
substances, as well as various types of psychopathology. Our research has
demonstrated significant influences by genetic, shared environmental, and u
nique environmental factors on the abuse of illicit substances. Multivariat
e analyses have indicated that the co-occurrence of abuse of various types
of illicit drugs reflects a common vulnerability, influenced by both geneti
c and environmental factors, that cuts across all categories of illicit dru
gs. We have also demonstrated that some drugs have unique determinants, bot
h genetic and environmental, that are not shared with other drugs. In part,
the genetic influence on marijuana abuse is mediated by genetic influence
on subjective effects in response to the drug. The determinants of transiti
ons from one stage of drug use to another differ depending on which drug or
which transition is examined. We determined significant genetic influences
on several aspects of nicotine and alcohol use separately, as well as gene
tic influences shared by both substances. We found that the co-occurrence o
f illicit drug abuse and major depression is due to unique environmental in
fluences. The phenotypic association between symptoms of conduct disorder a
nd alcohol and marijuana dependence is due largely to shared environmental
influences. Our results, thus far, indicate a complex pattern of genetic an
d environmental influences on substance use and abuse.