ABCD study tracked substance use in 9-13 year olds, finding increasing but still low rates
In the ABCD study of nearly 12,000 children followed from ages 9-13, substance use rates increased over time with 1.1% reporting cannabis use by age 12-13, while externalizing behaviors and parental drug problems predicted earlier initiation.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
By age 12-13, 39.7% of children had experimented with any substance (mostly sipping alcohol), while 7.4% reported "full use" in their lifetime including 1.1% cannabis use. Yearly any-substance-use rates increased from 13.9% to 18.4%. Greater externalizing symptoms and parental substance problems predicted use initiation.
Key Numbers
11,876 enrolled at baseline. By Y3 (ages 12-13): 39.7% experimented with any substance. Full use rates: 1.9% alcohol, 2.1% nicotine, 1.1% cannabis, 1.2% other. Externalizing symptoms and parental drug problems were significant longitudinal predictors.
How They Did This
Longitudinal analysis of the ABCD Study (11,876 participants at baseline, ages 9-10, with 6,251 at the third follow-up, ages 12-13). Descriptive statistics for all psychoactive substances over time. GEE models assessed predictors of substance use initiation.
Why This Research Matters
The ABCD study is the largest longitudinal study of brain development and substance use in American youth. Tracking when and how early substance experimentation begins provides essential data for prevention efforts.
The Bigger Picture
These data provide a baseline for understanding how adolescent substance use unfolds, confirming that experimentation begins early but full use remains uncommon through age 13. The identified risk factors can guide targeted prevention.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Data only through age 12-13, when substance use rates are still low. Self-reported use may underestimate actual rates. Attrition could bias results if high-risk youth are more likely to drop out.
Questions This Raises
- ?How will these rates change as the cohort enters high school?
- ?Do the identified risk factors become more or less predictive with age?
- ?Will early experimenters be more likely to develop problems later?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 1.1% cannabis use by ages 12-13 in a nationally representative sample
- Evidence Grade:
- Strong: very large nationally representative longitudinal cohort with standardized assessments and multiple follow-ups.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2022.
- Original Title:
- Substance use patterns in 9 to 13-year-olds: Longitudinal findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study.
- Published In:
- Drug and alcohol dependence reports, 5 (2022)
- Authors:
- Sullivan, Ryan M(9), Wade, Natasha E(18), Wallace, Alexander L(14), Tapert, Susan F, Pelham, William E, Brown, Sandra A, Cloak, Christine C, Feldstein Ewing, Sarah W, Madden, Pamela A F, Martz, Meghan E, Ross, J Megan, Kaiver, Christine M, Wirtz, Hailey G, Heitzeg, Mary M, Lisdahl, Krista M
- Database ID:
- RTHC-04250
Evidence Hierarchy
Follows a group of people over time to track how outcomes develop.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
How common was cannabis use among 12-13 year olds?
Only 1.1% reported cannabis use in their lifetime by ages 12-13. Alcohol sipping and nicotine experimentation were more common at this age.
What predicted earlier substance use?
Greater externalizing symptoms (behavioral problems like aggression and rule-breaking), parental substance use problems, and certain sociodemographic factors were associated with higher odds of initiating substance use.
Is experimentation the same as regular use?
No. The study distinguishes between "experimentation" (e.g., sipping alcohol, which 39.7% had done) and "full use" (a complete drink, nicotine product use, or cannabis use, which 7.4% reported). Most early exposure was experimentation.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-04250APA
Sullivan, Ryan M; Wade, Natasha E; Wallace, Alexander L; Tapert, Susan F; Pelham, William E; Brown, Sandra A; Cloak, Christine C; Feldstein Ewing, Sarah W; Madden, Pamela A F; Martz, Meghan E; Ross, J Megan; Kaiver, Christine M; Wirtz, Hailey G; Heitzeg, Mary M; Lisdahl, Krista M. (2022). Substance use patterns in 9 to 13-year-olds: Longitudinal findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study.. Drug and alcohol dependence reports, 5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dadr.2022.100120
MLA
Sullivan, Ryan M, et al. "Substance use patterns in 9 to 13-year-olds: Longitudinal findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study.." Drug and alcohol dependence reports, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dadr.2022.100120
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Substance use patterns in 9 to 13-year-olds: Longitudinal fi..." RTHC-04250. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/sullivan-2022-substance-use-patterns-in
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.