Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research
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Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. · May 1997
Association between alcohol use and smoking in adolescent and young adult twins: a bivariate genetic analysis.
The association between alcohol use and smoking was examined in a large population-based sample of Dutch twins consisting of three age groups; young adolescent twins aged 12-14 years (n = 650 twin pairs), 15-16-years-old adolescent twins (n = 705 twin pairs), and young adult twins aged 17-25 years (n = 1266 twin pairs). For all three age groups, alcohol use and smoking were correlated (r = 0.5-0.6). Adolescents and young adults who smoked were more likely to drink alcohol than nonsmokers. ⋯ The genetic analyses showed that the underlying factors that influence alcohol and tobacco use and cause their association were different for adolescent and young adult twins. Initiation of alcohol use and smoking in adolescents (aged 12-16 years) was substantially influenced by the same shared environmental features. Alcohol and tobacco use in young adults were associated due to the same genetic risk factors.