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Aims: To assess associations between parental control or parental emotional support and current tobacco, alcohol or cannabis use among 12-18-year-old students, according to gender and family structure (intact family, reconstituted family, single-parent family)., Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a national representative sample in France (2003) of 6-12th grade students (N = 16,532), as a part of the ESPAD study (European Study Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs). The self-administered questionnaire included questions on last 30 days' consumption of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis as well as on socio-demographic characteristics, school characteristics, and some simple questions on parental control and parental emotional support. Logistic modelling was carried out and (adjusted Odds Ratio) Ora calculated, adjusted for age, parental educational and characteristics of the school., Results: A negative relationship exists between parental control and substance use, but this relationship is more marked for tobacco (OR a between 1.8 and 5.6 according to level of control, family status and gender) and cannabis (OR between 1.5 and 6.4) than for alcohol (OR a between 1.0 and 2.7). Parental control is more markedly related to substance use in girls than in boys. These tendencies were observed for intact families as well as for single-parent families or reconstituted families. Parental control has a greater impact than emotional support. Among girls, emotional support has a greater impact than among boys., Conclusions: There is a gradient relationship between parental control and current consumption, especially among girls. Thus, there may be a need for parental control, whatever the family structure.

Two school surveys measured the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis among French adolescents (7-12th grades), one in 1993 (N=8435, 48.8% males), another in 1999 (N=11,331, 47.9% males). Increase in all substance use and polydrug use was observed (total sample, by gender and by age). The increase was important (1) for lifetime consumption of cannabis, "tobacco+cannabis," "alcohol+tobacco" and "alcohol+tobacco+cannabis" (OR=3.0); (2) for regular consumption of cannabis and "tobacco+cannabis" (OR=3.0); (3) among girls; (4) among youngsters aged 15 and more. In summary, these patterns of increase were quite different from those we expected for France, a wet and masculine culture.

Despite abundant literature the respective roles of psychosomatic status, personality, health perception, family environment, and sport activity in tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use have not been well known. To assess their roles, an epidemiological cross-sectional study was conducted in 3294 middle and high school adolescents, 2396 (73%) of whom agreed to participate. The standardized questionnaire was filled out by the teenagers under the supervision of the teachers. Strong associations were found between tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use. The prevalence of alcohol use and illicit drug use were respectively 7 and 10 times higher in smokers than in non-smokers. On the whole, the potential risk factors for tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use were age, psychosomatic status and psychotropic drug consumption, boring family atmosphere, not living with both father and mother, and health perception. Mother being a housewife was a protective factor. No marked role was noted for the head of family's socio-occupational category. Personality would be indicators of self-control ability. Indeed, some self-reported personalities (serious, attentive, calm, organized) had protection roles whereas some others (easily irritable, aggressive, worried, clumsy, careless, solitary, etc.) were risk factors (risk-taking or deviant behaviors). Some sports activities were found to be negatively related, but some others related positively with drug use, possibly due to repetitive meetings between the adolescents at risk. Preventive measures may be targeted at these risk factors.

Over the past decade, we have observed a disparity between alcohol consumption and related mortality, especially in its regional distribution. Two epidemiological surveys carried out by CRSSA and INSERM (unit 472) focused on drinking behaviour patterns among young conscripts and secondary school students. Regular drinkers in particular were studied. Geographical distribution of regular alcohol use differs from that of alcohol-related deaths. Alcohol consumption is higher in the south of France than in the north, while mortality from alcohol abuse remains higher in the north.

In order to supplement existing studies of deviant populations (alcoholics, drug addicts, jailed delinquents) and to bring to light the existence of early relationships between aggressiveness and alcohol consumption, an epidemiological survey was carried out among 1601 adolescents (aged 13-16) from a suburban area of Paris. Some types of the aggressive behaviour studied were more socially acceptable--breaking objects, hitting people, fighting--than others--threatening to use or using physical violence to obtain money or objects from people. A majority of the adolescents had already demonstrated violent behaviour, 41% showed repetitive delinquent behaviour, and 12% cumulated several types of such behaviour. The aggressive teenagers differed from the non-aggressive subjects firstly in their alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug consumption, and secondly with respect to other deviant behaviour, such as stealing, running away from home or violent victimization. A logistic regression analysis highlighted the relative importance of each type of delinquent behaviour and of the early onset of regular alcohol consumption. The discussion focuses on the complex relationship between violence and alcohol consumption.

Very few data are available concerning alcohol consumption among adolescents in France. Three epidemiological surveys carried out by INSERM (Unit 185), focused on the evolution of drinking behaviour patterns among high school students. Consumption trends from 1971 to 1984 were studied: daily wine consumption fell by one-third between these periods; daily beer consumption remained steady; regular hard liquor use fell by about 50% between 1971 and 1978 but showed a marked increase thereafter. The experience of drunkeness increased very significantly among young people, especially among girls. It seems that alcohol consumption became of a more addictive type recently.

A cohort study of 327 French adolescents was carried out from 1983 to 1985 to investigate 1) the prevalence, incidence and remission rates of alcohol consumption 2) the significance of alcohol consumption before age 16 and its evolution. Among the young people with high alcohol consumption at age 16 (20%), 40% (30% among boys, 68% among girls) decrease their consumption at age 17 or 18. There are great differences between problem drinkers at age 16, and the others. They reveal more risky behaviour, more psychosomatic symptoms and have a more active life style. Even if they decrease their alcohol consumption between age 16 and their 18, their behaviour and psychosomatic problems persist.

An epidemiological survey was carried out among high school students of 3 French regions. Their use of drugs (alcohol, tobacco, psychotropic drugs, illicit drugs) was studied, as well as their self-perception of personality, relations inside and outside the family, school performance, and lifestyle. Different aspects of drinking were considered: regularity of intake, quantity absorbed, inebriation. The use of alcoholic drinks together with psychotropic substances was studied. A cluster analysis applied to adolescent personality self-perception revealed 10 different personality types (5 for the boys; 5 for the girls). The social, family, and relational characteristics of each personality type are described. The correlations between personality self-perception and liquor use allow us to define 3 profiles of heavy drinkers.

Abstract: We tested the hypothesis that socioeconomic disadvantage exacerbates the intergenerational transmission of substance dependence. Among 3056 community-based young adults (18–22 years, 2007), the prevalence of alcohol dependence (WHO AUDIT, 5.8%) and cannabis dependence (DSM IV criteria, 7.3%) was doubled in the presence of combined parental alcohol dependence and socioeconomic disadvantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Based on three national surveys (European School Survey on Alcohol and Other Drugs [ESPAD] 1999, ESPAD 2003, ESPAD 2007) on a representative sample of 16-year-old young people (N >2500 for each survey), the author has observed an increase in the consumption of anabolic steroids, more important among girls (from 0.6% in 1999 to 1.6% in 2007, P <0.001), than among boys (from 1.0% in 1999 to 1.6% in 2007, NS). Most of these youngsters participate actively in sports, athletics or exercising daily. Anabolic steroid consumers also have a high consumption rate of alcohol, tobacco or cannabis, and are known for violent behaviour. The authors conclude that a more global approach to youngsters is necessary to prevent consumption of anabolic steroids. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]