Addiction
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The aim of this study was to describe associations between alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use in adolescents and demographic factors associated with substance use. ⋯ The use of both tobacco and illicit drugs appears to be strongly associated with alcohol use, which is more prevalent, and the risk of smoking and illicit drug use is particularly high in adolescents who report high levels of drunkenness. Our results are consistent with a simple threshold model of substance abuse in which alcohol occupies a low threshold position relative to the higher threshold of cigarettes and illegal drugs. Smoking, drug use and drunkenness were lowest in beer/wine drinkers, intermediate in alcopop drinkers, and highest in spirits drinkers.