Perceived vs. actual friends' use of alcohol,cigarettes, marijuana,and cocaine: Which has the most influence?

Determinants of the use of alcohol, alcohol without parental knowledge, cigarettes, marijuana, and crack were assessed in predominantly black, urban, fourth- and fifth-grade students. Each subject identified three best friends. Logistic and least-square regression analyses indicated that children's perceptions of friends' use, perceptions of family use, and actual use of classmates were better predictors of substance use than friends' actual use. The pattern of predictors suggested that peer behaviors and attitudes are more influential for children's socially censured behaviors such as using alcohol without parental permission than for more socially approved behaviors such as using alcohol with parental permission. The importance of perceived friends' use vs. friends' actual use supports Behavioral Intention Theory and Cognitive Developmental Theory, while the importance of classroom use supports Social Learning Theory or may reflect social and environmental conditions including neighborhood availability of drugs and neighborhood values regarding substance use.This research was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (RO1 DA 04497). Portions were presented at a NIDA Technical Review Meeting, Washington, DC, September 1989, and at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association, Chicago, October 1989.Received Ph.D. in developmental psychology from The State University of New York at Buffalo. His research interests include social and environmental influences on the early use of abusable substances; the development of children's eating and exercise patterns, and their relationship to cardiovascular risk factors; and the development of understanding of and attitudes toward health and illness, including heart disease and AIDS.Received Ph.D. in social pharmacy from the University of Minnesota. Her research interests include personal, social, and environmental influences on the use of medicines and abusable substances; and children's health promotion and disease prevention.