Role of cigarette smoking as a gateway drug to alcohol use in Hispanic junior high school students.

BACKGROUND

Many studies have examined predictors of alcohol and other substance use in adolescents, but few have looked specifically at Hispanic adolescents in their junior high school years.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which tobacco use may contribute as a gateway drug for subsequent alcohol use among Hispanic adolescents in San Diego, Calif.

METHODS

A multiple regression procedure was used to test if 7th-grade to 9th-grade change in smoking status predicted 9th-grade alcohol use while controlling for a variety of other variables.

RESULTS

Among the variables analyzed, increased level of smoking was the strongest predictor of subsequent 9th-grade alcohol use, followed by stronger intentions to drink, female sex, and having grades below a "C."

CONCLUSION

7th- to 9th-grade smoking change is highly predictive of subsequent alcohol use.

IMPLICATIONS

The study findings suggest that preventive intervention for alcohol use among Hispanic adolescents should focus on changes in smoking status as a significant risk factor and should examine the role of acculturation and other variations that make this population different from other U.S. subgroups.