Families and Relationships with Friends in the Genesis of Addiction in Adolescents. Essay on Life Course Analysis of 15–18 Year-Olds Enrolled in School, in Paris and the Surrounding Area (Ile-de-France)

Abstract

Background

Friends play an important role in cigarette and cannabis usage during adolescence. However, family is also a factor insofar as it can expose an adolescent to the development of consumption, or protect them from it. Experimentation with, and consumption of, these substances comes about within a specific relationship configuration: that of a somewhat conflictual relationship between young people and their parents.

Methods

The study was conducted in the Paris area (France) among 15–18-year-olds enrolled at school, with whom we conducted 93 biographical interviews (representing 483 person-years of retrospective observation).

Results

The consumption of cigarettes or cannabis is influenced by relationships with peers and meet-ups with friends (especially at weekends), as well as within the protective school environment. The relationship between adolescent consumption and parental attitude is two-way; consumption can be considered as much a cause of conflict as it is a consequence.

Conclusions

First, a product-based approach (tobacco or cannabis) is less fruitful than an approach of entry to addiction by life events. Secondly, analysis of both parent-adolescent conflicts and outings with friends seem to be powerful levers of action in preventing take-up of cigarettes and cannabis.

Keypoints

• In the course of adolescence, behaviors in the consumption of cigarettes or cannabis connect with the relational context in which young people evolve at school community level

• The product-based approach (tobacco or cannabis) is less effective than an approach through analysis of both the conflicts and the nature of peer group meet-ups

• Analysis of parent-adolescent conflicts and control of meet-ups seem to be powerful levers of action for prevention of embarking on the use of products

• The Ageven grid for the description of life events is an innovative tool used to analyses a situation within the community as well as for the development of primary prevention

Keywords:

• Adolescent
• cigarette use
• drug use
• life course
• parental support
• peers
• school

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).