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Opioid use more likely in adolescent drinkers

Teenagers who smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol or use marijuana have a two-to-three times greater risk of abusing prescription opioids in early adulthood.

Researchers tested whether substance use during adolescence was associated with later abuse of harder drugs in 18- to 25-year-olds.

The study found that for young men, prior abuse of alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana was linked with an increased likelihood of later opioid use, while only previous marijuana use had the same risk for young women.

Read more at Futurity

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