Girls Dating Older Boys More Likely to Drink, Use Drugs

Girls Dating Older Boys More Likely to Drink, Use Drugs
August 23, 2004

Research Summary

A survey of teenage girls finds that those who date older boys are more likely to smoke, consume alcohol, and use drugs, Reuters reported Aug. 19.

According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, 58 percent of girls who had boyfriends two or more years older drank alcohol, compared to 25 percent of the girls who dated boys their own age or didn't date at all.

In addition, 58 percent of the girls who dated older boys smoked marijuana, compared to 8 percent of other girls. The survey also showed that 65 percent of teenage girls who dated older boys or adult men smoked cigarettes, compared with 14 percent of the girls with same-age boyfriends.

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