Ethnic Discrimination's Role on Increased Substance Susceptibility and Use Among U.S. Youth

Recently, U.S. youth of color reported greater use of alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis than White youth. Increased levels of discrimination in recent years may have added to the chronic burden associated with increased use among youth of color. Little is known about this relationship, especially among youth who initiate substance use earlier in adolescence. This study assessed the prevalence of substance susceptibility (willingness and curiosity) and use (alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis) among youth by race/ethnicity and ethnic discrimination's role in this relationship.

Data from the national panel of 11,868 U.S. youth in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study (baseline through fourth year follow-up; 2016-2022), which assessed these relationships beginning at ages 9-10 years, were analyzed in 2024-2025. Prevalence of lifetime substance susceptibility and use were quantified by race/ethnicity. Multivariable longitudinal analyses tested whether discrimination was connected to substance susceptibility and lifetime use and whether that relationship differed by race/ethnicity.

Black youth reported lower lifetime alcohol and tobacco use, lower curiosity toward alcohol and tobacco, and higher willingness to try alcohol than White youth. Hispanic youth reported higher willingness to try alcohol. Asian youth reported lower lifetime tobacco use. Higher levels of ethnic discrimination were consistently associated with greater odds of susceptibility and use among all racial/ethnic groups in this study.

Results show that youth of color report lower substance use; however, ethnic discrimination may account for some of the recent increased national trends in substance use among youth of color through its impact on their increased susceptibility to use substances.