Patterns of cigarette, alcohol, and other drug use among children and adolescents: a longitudinal study.

Findings are presented from an 18-month longitudinal study of substance use behavior among 400 children and adolescents, ages 9-17 at the first interviews. Patterns of use from two sequential interviews are reported. Descriptive results are presented as simple frequencies and cross-tabulated with demographic items (age, sex, ethnicity, and socio-economic status). Patterns of use over an 18-month period are examined for cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana/hashish, and other drugs. Four patterns are assessed for each of these substances--abstention at both the first and second interviews; abstention at the first, but not the second interview; use at the first interview, abstention at the second; and use at both interviews.