Influence of parental smoking on the use of alcohol and illicit drugs among adolescents

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between parental smoking and the use of alcohol and illicit drugs among adolescent children. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with 6,264 adolescents (59.7% female) aged between 14 and 19 years. To establish the sample, we used two-stage cluster random sampling. The data on parental smoking and use of cigarettes, alcohol and illicit drugs among adolescents were collected using a questionnaire. RESULTS: Smoking adolescents were more prone to use alcohol (odds ratio − OR: 10.35; 95%CI: 7.85-13.65) and illicit drugs (OR: 11.75; 95%CI: 9.04-15.26) than non-smokers (p<0.001). Adolescents with at least one parent (OR: 1.4; 95%CI: 1.13-1.89) or both parents smoking (OR: 1.6; 95%CI: 1.01-2.67) were more likely to smoke when compared to those having no parents smoking. The adjusted analysis limited to non-smoking adolescents showed a positive association (p<0.05) between parental tobacco use and the use of alcohol (OR: 1.4; 95%CI: 1.23-1.62) and illicit drugs (OR: 1.6; 95%CI: 1.24-2.13), irrespective of age, sex, maternal schooling and place of residence. CONCLUSION: Parental smoking was associated with the use of alcohol and other illicit drugs by adolescents, even among nonsmokers.