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Relationships Keep Young People from Substance Abuse

Researchers are establishing that social networks and family ties play a very important role in predicting risks for alcohol and drug use among young adults. When a person spends a lot of time with others who drink or use drugs, they will likely embrace those substances as a part of normal life and may begin to participate in those behaviors also.

Someone else may be dictating whether young people drink or use drugs too: their significant other. A new study published in the June 2010 issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior looks at the connection between being involved in a relationship and the likelihood that a person will engage in dangerous alcohol- and drug-related behaviors.

The study, led by Charles Fleming, a research scientist at the University of Washington, examined surveys of 909 people followed from first or second grade in the early 1990s. The individuals were followed all the way into young adulthood, when they were two years out of high school.

The results of the survey analysis revealed that the participants who were not involved with someone romantically at ages 19 and 20 smoked less and drank less than their peers when they were in high school. However, the situation changed as they got older. Fleming explains that the students, in some instances, actually surpassed their peers.

The researchers controlled for certain variables, such as employment status, and found that the typical participant that was not in a relationship was 40 percent more likely to use marijuana than a person who was dating someone significant but did not have a live-in boyfriend or girlfriend.
Fleming says that what may be happening in these situations is that when people are in a relationship they are supported in that relationship. They are also spending less time out with friends who may be using substances, and less time in social situations conducive to substance use.
One exception must be noted, however. When a person is in a significant relationship with someone who is either a heavy drinker or heavily involved in drugs, their risk of developing a dependence on these substances actually increases.
The results of the study are significant because they highlight the previous research regarding marriage and substance abuse. Kenneth Leonard, a researcher with the Research Institute on Addictions at the University of Buffalo said in an article by the Health Behavior News Service that the results show that marriage among young people may be just as effective at reducing risk for substance abuse as it does for older people.
The findings are very significant because they provide information about the factors that may reduce risk during peak years for developing substance abuse problems. People who are surrounded by strong social networks where substance abuse is not encouraged are at a much less risk for developing a problem.