Perceived parental approval of marijuana and heavy drinking predicted simultaneous use in young adults | Research

The takeaway

Among 1,023 young adults, those who perceived parental approval of marijuana use or heavy drinking were 2 to 3.5 times more likely to use alcohol and marijuana simultaneously.

Prevention program designers, parents of young adults, and researchers studying polysubstance use.

Perceived parental approval: 2.25-3.53x higher odds of simultaneous use

What the researchers found

Marijuana-specific attitudes (believing it is not wrong for their age) differentiated simultaneous or co-users from alcohol-only users. Perceived parental approval of marijuana use or heavy drinking was associated with 2.25 to 3.53 times greater odds of simultaneous alcohol-marijuana use versus non-simultaneous co-use.

Why it matters

Simultaneous alcohol and marijuana use is riskier than using either alone, associated with more binge drinking and impaired driving. Identifying modifiable risk factors like perceived parental attitudes helps target prevention efforts.

The numbers in context

1,023 young adults. 20.7% reported simultaneous use, 12.6% non-simultaneous co-use, 66.6% alcohol only. Perceived parental approval of marijuana: OR 2.25-3.53 for SAM vs CAM.

How the study worked

Cross-sectional analysis of 1,023 young adults (mean age 23.17). Compared past-30-day simultaneous alcohol-marijuana use (SAM, 20.7%), non-simultaneous co-use (CAM, 12.6%), and alcohol-only use (66.6%) using multinomial logistic regression.

What this study cannot tell us

Cross-sectional design cannot establish causation. Self-reported perceived parental attitudes may not accurately reflect actual parental views. Sample was from a specific age cohort.

How to read the evidence

Moderate: large sample with validated measures, but cross-sectional design and self-reported perceptions.

When this study was published

Published in 2022.

The bigger picture

Prevention programs that address both alcohol and marijuana attitudes together, and that involve parent communication about both substances, may be more effective than programs focused on only one substance.

Questions still open

Would parent-focused interventions reduce simultaneous use? Do perceived parental attitudes have the same influence across different cultural backgrounds? Is simultaneous use increasing with cannabis legalization?

Common questions

What is simultaneous use versus co-use?

Simultaneous use means consuming alcohol and marijuana at the same time so their effects overlap. Co-use means using both substances within the same time period but not simultaneously.

Why is simultaneous use more dangerous?

Research shows simultaneous use causes greater physical and mental impairment than using either substance separately and is associated with higher rates of binge drinking and impaired driving.

Did alcohol attitudes also predict simultaneous use?

Surprisingly, marijuana-specific risk factors were more important than alcohol-specific attitudes in distinguishing simultaneous users from alcohol-only users.

Read the original research

Simultaneous use of marijuana and alcohol: Potential prevention targets among young adults who use alcohol.

Addictive behaviors, 124, 107118

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Skinner, Martie L; Guttmannova, Katarina; Oesterle, Sabrina; Kuklinski, Margaret R. (2022). Simultaneous use of marijuana and alcohol: Potential prevention targets among young adults who use alcohol.. Addictive behaviors, 124, 107118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.107118