AGE OF ADDICTION - DETERMINANTS OF EARLY TEEN-AGE HEROIN USE

• NCJ Number: 42868
• Author(s): P KLEINMAN
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 57 pages
• Grant Number(s): N1-71-046; 72-N1-99-0008; 73-N1-99-0002; DA 01103-02
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: Vera Institute of Justice
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE SPEED AND LENGTH OF ADDICTION WERE FOUND TO BE GREATER AMONG THOSE FIRST USING BEFORE THE AGE OF 18. THE CAUSES OF EARLY-AGE ADDICTION WERE STUDIED, AND TENTATIVE CONCLUSIONS WERE DRAWN.

Abstract

LIMITATIONS IN THE STUDY ARE ACKNOWLEDGED, DUE TO THE SMALL SAMPLE STUDIED OF PATIENTS IN ONE TYPE OF TREATMENT PROGRAM AT ONE POINT IN TIME. IN ADDITION, THE PATIENTS ARE ETHNICALLY UNREPRESENTATIVE OF ALL ADDICTS. IT IS TENTATIVELY CONCLUDED THAT AMONG THOSE BORN IN LARGE URBAN AREAS, PARENTS SOCIAL CLASS IS AN IMPORTANT DETERMINANT OF AGE OF ADDICTION, IN THAT, THOSE WITH BLUE-COLLAR BACKGROUNDS ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO BE ADDICTED BEFORE THE AGE OF 18 THAN THOSE WITH WHITE-COLLAR BACKGROUNDS. LOWER-CLASS NEW YORK-BORN ADOLESCENTS ARE UNUSUALLY HIGH RISKS TO BECOME ADDICTS. THOSE IN BOTH CLASSES GROWING UP IN HOMES DISRUPTED BY DRINKING ARE, AMONG THE NEW YORK-BORN, ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO EARLY ADDICTION. AMONG THE SOUTHERN-BORN, THOSE WHO SKIP SCHOOL OFTEN APPEAR TO BE A HIGH RISK GROUP. PUERTO RICANS WHO GROW UP IN FATHER-ABSENT HOMES ARE ALSO HIGH RISKS FOR EARLY ADDICTION. THE AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THESE FINDINGS NEED TO BE REPLICATED IN OTHER ADDICT SAMPLES. FURTHER AREAS FOR RESEARCH SUGGESTED INCLUDE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AGE OF ADDICTION AND AGE OF ONSET OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR; AND THE IMPACT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS UPON AGE OF ADDICTION. ...RCB