Rural youth usage of alcohol, marijuana, and "hard" drugs

Based on developmental theory, this article tests the relationships between first and current use of alcohol, marijuana and "hard" drugs among a sample of 197 rural and small-town youth. Findings indicate that age of first use of alcohol predicts current use of alcohol. The same pattern occurs for marijuana and hard drugs. Age of first use of alcohol is also related to first use of marijuana, which in turn is related to first use of hard drugs. The order is reversed for current use. Current use of hard drugs predicts current use of marijuana, which in turn predicts current use of alcohol.