ABSTRACT

Habitual drug abuse in adolescence is of particular concern to clinical psychologists because it may have a negative long-term effect on the adolescent and an intergenerational effect on their children (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 1997e; Chassin, Ritter, Trim & King, 2003; Crome, Ghodse, Gilvarry & McArdle, 2004; Rutter, 2002b). For the adolescent, habitual drug abuse may negatively affect: mental and physical health, criminal status, educational status, the establishment of autonomy from the family of origin and the development of long-term intimate relationships. The children of habitual teenage drug abusers may suffer from drugrelated problems such as fetal alcohol syndrome, intrauterine addiction or HIV infection.