Long-term effects of minimum legal drinking age laws on marijuana and other illicit drug use in adulthood.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Exposure to permissive minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) laws (ability to purchase alcohol <21 years) during adolescence can have long-term effects, including heavy alcohol use or alcohol use disorders as adults. We examined whether exposure to permissive MLDA laws during adolescence has long-term effects on illicit drug use and disorders in adulthood.

Methods

Participants from the 2004-2012 National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) were linked with historical state MLDA laws. Participants born in 1949-1972 (age 31-63 years at observation, n = 110,300) were analyzed because they came of legal age for alcohol purchase when changes occurred in state MLDA laws. Logistic regression was used to model drug use measures as a function of exposure to permissive MLDA d

SUBMITTER: Krauss MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4361331 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature