The Co-occurrence of Nicotine and Other Substance Use and Addiction Among Youth and Adults in the United States: Implications for Research, Practice, and Policy

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The increasing popularity of non-cigarette nicotine products, especially among youth, highlights the need for greater attention to their potential risks, including nicotine addiction and other substance use and addiction.

OBJECTIVES:

To examine the extent to which nicotine product use co-occurs with other substance use and addiction among youth and adults, describe the demographic groups and types of nicotine products associated with an increased risk of such co-occurrence, and discuss implications for research, prevention, clinical practice, and policy.

METHODS:

Analyzing 2014 data from two nationally representative US surveys, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) and the Monitoring the Future (MTF) study, we examined the co-occurrence between nicotine product use and alcohol and other drug use and addiction.

RESULTS:

Individuals of all ages who reported using nicotine products of any kind were significantly more likely than nonusers to report alcohol, marijuana, other drug, and poly-substance use and to meet diagnostic criteria for a substance-use disorder. Users of multiple nicotine products generally were the most likely to engage in alcohol and other drug use and to be addicted to these other substances.

CONCLUSIONS:

The substantial co-occurrence of all forms of nicotine use and other substance use and addiction underscores the need to control the growing use of non-cigarette nicotine products among youth and to incorporate all forms of nicotine product use into substance use and addiction research, prevention, clinical practice, and policy efforts.

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2017 Mar. doi: 10.1080/00952990.2016.1193511.