such as cocaine or heroin among adolescents and the resultant reduction in statistical power for studying these outcomes in family based studies. Nonetheless, the extent to which the findings discussed above generalize to the use of other substances is unknown. Perhaps what is most needed in the studies of latent genetic influences on adolescent substance use is a refined investigation of how environmental risk and protective influences modify biological vulnerability. Of note, the role of stressful life events, such as childhood sexual or physical abuse on exacerbating genetic risk for subsequent development of substance use disorders, may have important implications.
