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Abstract
Despite widespread concern regarding the effects of teenage drug use, there has been little effort to establish specifically what long-term consequences arise from such use and whether these adverse outcomes may be mitigated by a supportive social network. We obtained data from 654 teenagers when they were in early and late adolescence and used it to evaluate resultant problems reported by this same group of youngsters when they were young adults. General, or polydrug, use increased drug and alcohol, health, and family problems. The unique or independent effects of cigarettes and hard drug use (while controlling for General Drug Use) had a wide range of negative effects on health, psychosomatic symptoms, emotional distress, and interpersonal relationships. Specific use of cannabis increased health and family problems. Alcohol use, which was not reflected in General Drug Use, had no specific negative effects, but it reduced loneliness in romantic relationships, self-derogation, and family problems. General social support during adolescence provided a significant amelioration of all seven young-adult problem areas. In contrast to the effects of specific drugs, specific areas of social support had minimal impact on young-adult functioning. Results are discussed in regard to theory development and prevention strategies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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