SOME CHILDHOOD ANTECEDENTS OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE1

Abstract

Tennant. F. S., Jr. (Community Health Projects. Inc., 336'/2 S. Glendora Ave., W. Covina. CA 91790), R. Detels and V. Clark. Some childhood antecedents of drug and alcohol abuse.Am J Epidemiol102:377–385. 1975. Unsatisfactory intrafamilial relationships and child-rearing practices have frequently been implicated as prime determinants of personalities that are susceptible to drug and alcohol abuse. Five thousand forty-four US Army soldiers were surveyed by anonymous questionnaires. The reported occurrence of a variety of activities, events and behaviors in childhood among drug and alcohol abusers were compared to non-users. Childhood antecedents that were associated with non-use of illegal drugs and which showed as much as a 20% difference in reported occurrence between abusers and non-users of illegal drugs were: spanking, church attendance, first alcoholic drink after 15 years, and perceived “happy” parental marriage. These associations were found within white and non-white groups and in subjects with divorced or separated parents. There was no antecedent that showed as much as a 20% difference in reported occurrence between alcohol abusers and non-users.