Abuse; Youth Problems IDENTIFIERS *Deviance; Social Causality

Drug use and delinquency share many common antecedents: early antisocial behavior, difficulties in school, impaired family relationships, delinquent or drug-using peers, and rebelliousness. But these common factors could underlie a cluster of problem behaviors or lead to distinctly different behavioral manifestations. Using data from 1,363 West Coast students in grade 10, this study examines the relationship between drug use and deviant behavior. Analyses of student responses to self-administered surveys revealed three correlated higher-order dimensions of behavior: (1) alcohol use and sociability; (2) deviant behavior, including drug use other than alcohol; and (3) rebelliousness. A close relationship among tobacco and cannabis use and deviant behavior was revealed. Results suggest that drug prevention programs that curb initial and regular use of the gateway drugs, such as alcohol, tobacco, an