Citation

Burdzovic Andreas J. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2019; 197: 280-287.

Affiliation

Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drugs, Postboks 222, Skøyen, 0213 Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: jabu@fhi.no.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.02.003

PMID

30875649

Abstract

BACKGROUND: How youth perceive harmfulness of risk behaviors such as substance use relates to their engagement in those behaviors. Yet, little is known about how different substance use modes (i.e., variations in amounts and use frequencies) are perceived. We investigated how adolescent perceptions of harmfulness of various alcohol- and cannabis use modes changed over time, compared to one another, and related to actual substance use behaviors.

METHODS: We examined nationally-representative repeated cross-sectional samples of 16-year olds in Norway, assessed in 2007, 2011, and 2015 (N_Total = 9296) as part of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD). Adolescents reported their: 1) lifetime alcohol- and cannabis use, and 2) perceived harmfulness of various alcohol- and cannabis use modes.

RESULTS: Prevalence estimates for perceived harmfulness: 1) remained high and stable, or increased for alcohol use modes, and 2) declined for all cannabis use modes (i.e., using 1-2 times, occasionally, and regularly) since 2007-cohort. High quantity daily drinking was more commonly perceived as harmful than minimal or occasional cannabis use. Even though culturally-relevant use modes (i.e., weekend heavy drinking and experimental cannabis use) were not most commonly endorsed as harmful, only perceptions of those use modes as harmful were inversely associated with actual substance use.

CONCLUSIONS: How adolescents from Norway perceived harmfulness of alcohol- and cannabis use depended on the specific substance, its use modes, and secular cohort. Perceived harmfulness was associated with measures of actual substance use predominantly along the culturally- and adolescent-relevant modes of use.

Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Language: en

Keywords

Adolescents; Alcohol use; Cannabis use; ESPAD; National trends; Norway; Perceived harmfulness; Secular shifts; Substance use modes