Influence of parental smoking on the use of alcohol and illicit drugs among adolescents.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between parental smoking and the use of alcohol and illicit drugs among adolescent children.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study with 6,264 adolescents (59.7% female) aged between 14 and 19 years. To establish the sample, we used two-stage cluster random sampling. The data on parental smoking and use of cigarettes, alcohol and illicit drugs among adolescents were collected using a questionnaire.

RESULTS

Smoking adolescents were more prone to use alcohol (odds ratio - OR: 10.35; 95%CI: 7.85-13.65) and illicit drugs (OR: 11.75; 95%CI: 9.04-15.26) than non-smokers (p<0.001). Adolescents with at least one parent (OR: 1.4; 95%CI: 1.13-1.89) or both parents smoking (OR: 1.6; 95%CI: 1.01-2.67) were more likely to smoke when compared to those having no parents smoking. The adjusted analysis limited to non-smoking adolescents showed a positive association (p<0.05) between parental tobacco use and the use of alcohol (OR: 1.4; 95%CI: 1.23-1.62) and illicit drugs (OR: 1.6; 95%CI: 1.24-2.13), irrespective of age, sex, maternal schooling and place of residence.

CONCLUSION

Parental smoking was associated with the use of alcohol and other illicit drugs by adolescents, even among nonsmokers.