Adolescents, pain and substance use

Harvard Medical School et al examined alcohol use by 243 teenagers receiving care for chronic pain. Key findings: 32.1% reported lifetime alcohol use, 30.5% reported past-year alcohol use, Lifetime cannabis use linked to 5.7 times more frequent past-year alcohol use, Older age and perceiving alcohol as less risky also linked to more frequent alcohol use, and Depressive symptoms linked to lifetime alcohol use.