Single and Multiple Patterns of Adolescent Substance Use: Longitudinal Comparisons of Four Ethnic Groups

Patterns of drug use for 847 adolescents from four different ethnic backgrounds were examined over a five-year period. Eight distinct patterns of use were identified. In addition to a nonuser group, only one large single substance use group emerged; that for alcohol use. Almost 60 percent of the participants were multiple users of two or more types of substances. Black students had consistently the highest frequency of single-cigarette smokers and the highest frequency of multiple use of alcohol-cigarette-cannabis in the last two years of the study. Asian adolescents showed only the highest level of single-alcohol consumption in Year 1, which vanished over time. Hispanics and Whites consistently contained the highest number of multiple users of alcohol-hard drug with either cigarette or cannabis or both. Comparing the patterns of substance use at three points in time, there was a general increase in drug use, as well as three distinct directions of movement: Stability, regression and progression. Results were discussed in regard to an upward or downward mobility theory of drug involvement.