research
By Sixteen, 38% Reported Trying at Least One Substance
The ABCD cohort traces how alcohol, cannabis, nicotine, and combinations emerge from late childhood into the mid-teens.
Summary
The ABCD cohort traces how alcohol, cannabis, nicotine, and combinations emerge from late childhood into the mid-teens.
UC San Diego researchers analyzed repeated assessments from 11,880 participants in the national ABCD study. By age 16, 38% reported lifetime use of at least one substance; nearly 15% reported two or more. Boys reported more use before 12, while girls reported higher alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine use beginning around 13. Self-report and an ongoing cohort limit causal conclusions, but the weighted estimates provide a current benchmark for prevention and brain-development research.
Why it matters
The ABCD cohort traces how alcohol, cannabis, nicotine, and combinations emerge from late childhood into the mid-teens.
Limits and context
No additional limitation was separately recorded.
Key claims
The ABCD cohort traces how alcohol, cannabis, nicotine, and combinations emerge from late childhood into the mid-teens.
Evidence: source-2026-07-24-015
Sources
- UC San Diego via Newswise: Adolescent substance-use patternsUC San Diego via Newswise · secondary reporting
Corrections
No corrections have been recorded for this story.