Patterns of mean age at drug use initiation by race and ethnicity, 2004-2019.
Journal of substance use and addiction treatment June 1, 2024 Karl C Alcover, Abram J Lyons, Solmaz Amiri 7 citations
Mean age of drug initiation among U.S. adolescents aged 12–21 increased from 2004 to 2019 for most drugs and most racial/ethnic groups, including alcohol, tobacco cigarettes, cigars, marijuana, and cocaine, though exceptions occurred. For non-Hispanic White adolescents, alcohol initiation age decreased from 2013 to 2019. Mean initiation age also decreased for smokeless tobacco among Hispanic/Latinx and American Indian/Alaska Native adolescents, and for inhalants among multiracial adolescents. Age of initiation varied widely by race/ethnicity, suggesting that prevention strategies may need to be tailored to specific groups.