ABSTRACT
This chapter explores causal theories related to adolescent alcohol and other drug use, and characteristics of the population at risk, perplexing questions that arise due to the lack of information regarding assessment and treatment. Risk for alcohol and other drug use can be seen as falling into five broad categories: genetic and family factors, peer factors, psychological factors, biological factors, and environmental factors. A wide variety of psychological factors are known to be associated with alcohol and other drug use. Environmental characteristics have long been known to play a major role in the etiology of delinquency and, by extension, in the development of alcohol and other drug use. Demographic variables such as age, ethnicity, race, and socioeconomic status have been examined with regard to its impact on adolescent alcohol and other drug use. Age is the demographic variable most consistently associated with problem drug use.
