Adolescent Substance Use Among High School Students Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study of Peer Exposure and Risk.
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| Title: | Adolescent Substance Use Among High School Students Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study of Peer Exposure and Risk. |
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| Authors: | Weerakoon, Sitara M. (AUTHOR), Simmons, Sydney C. (AUTHOR), Connors, Elizabeth H. (AUTHOR), Genovese, Maegan (AUTHOR), Clark, Kathryn (AUTHOR), Awad, Michael (AUTHOR), Tebes, Jacob K. (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Substance Use & Misuse. 2026, Vol. 61 Issue 6, p890-898. 9p. |
| Subjects: | Substance abuse risk factors, Substance abuse prevention, Substance abuse, Risk assessment, Cross-sectional method, High schools, Research funding, T-test (Statistics), Psychology of high school students, Affinity groups, Parenting, Descriptive statistics, Chi-squared test, Mann Whitney U Test, Teenagers' conduct of life, Data analysis software, COVID-19 pandemic, School health services |
| Geographic Terms: | New England |
| Abstract: | Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted schooling for many during the middle-to-high school transition, a critical period for initiation of substance use. This study examines how reduced in-school peer exposure was associated with substance use patterns among ninth and tenth graders before and after the pandemic. Objectives: To examine the relationship between differential in-school peer exposure to substance use patterns among ninth and tenth graders before and after the pandemic. Methods: We conducted a repeated cross-sectional study of ninth and tenth graders (total N = 2,024) from a large US high school, using annual in-school survey data from 2017–2019 (N = 1,550) and 2023 (N = 474). We compared substance use prevalence and risk factors pre- and post-pandemic. Results: The pre-pandemic sample was 48% boys and the post-pandemic sample was 57% boys. Ninth graders (one year less exposure to in-school peers) had significant declines pre- to post-pandemic in 30-day alcohol use (13% to 7%), 30-day e-cigarette use (12% to 7%), lifetime alcohol use (31% to 20%), lifetime marijuana use (18% to 10%), and lifetime e-cigarette use(23% to 13%). Tenth graders (one additional year of in-school peer exposure) did not experience similar declines. Perceived substance use accessibility increased among ninth graders pre- to post-pandemic (mean risk perception score: 3.18 to 3.33, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Less in-school peer exposure during a critical developmental period was associated with reduced substance use initiation and progression. These findings highlight the importance of in-school exposure to peers in adolescent substance use trajectories. Future research should investigate specific mechanisms of peer influence—such as substance availability on campus—to inform targeted prevention and early intervention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted schooling for many during the middle-to-high school transition, a critical period for initiation of substance use. This study examines how reduced in-school peer exposure was associated with substance use patterns among ninth and tenth graders before and after the pandemic. Objectives: To examine the relationship between differential in-school peer exposure to substance use patterns among ninth and tenth graders before and after the pandemic. Methods: We conducted a repeated cross-sectional study of ninth and tenth graders (total N = 2,024) from a large US high school, using annual in-school survey data from 2017–2019 (N = 1,550) and 2023 (N = 474). We compared substance use prevalence and risk factors pre- and post-pandemic. Results: The pre-pandemic sample was 48% boys and the post-pandemic sample was 57% boys. Ninth graders (one year less exposure to in-school peers) had significant declines pre- to post-pandemic in 30-day alcohol use (13% to 7%), 30-day e-cigarette use (12% to 7%), lifetime alcohol use (31% to 20%), lifetime marijuana use (18% to 10%), and lifetime e-cigarette use(23% to 13%). Tenth graders (one additional year of in-school peer exposure) did not experience similar declines. Perceived substance use accessibility increased among ninth graders pre- to post-pandemic (mean risk perception score: 3.18 to 3.33, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Less in-school peer exposure during a critical developmental period was associated with reduced substance use initiation and progression. These findings highlight the importance of in-school exposure to peers in adolescent substance use trajectories. Future research should investigate specific mechanisms of peer influence—such as substance availability on campus—to inform targeted prevention and early intervention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 10826084 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/10826084.2025.2583462 |
