This study extends our previous work on adolescent substance use patterns among community adolescents in Colorado (Young et al., 2002) who have now been followed longitudinally into young adulthood, by addressing two primary questions that remain largely unanswered. First, are there gender differences in the developmental trends in substance use, abuse, and dependence? Second, is there epidemiological evidence to support a model of generalized risk across alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use and disorders?
