Research & Resources

This study was conducted to assess associations between social networks and urban American Indian/Alaska Native emerging adults’ alcohol, cannabis, and opioid use and intentions. American Indian/Alaska Native participants ages 18–25 (N = 150) were recruited across the United States from December 2020 to October 2021 via social media. Participants named up to 15 people with whom they talked most over the past 3 months and reported who (a) used alcohol and cannabis heavily or used other drugs (e.g., opioids); (b) engaged in traditional practices (e.g., beading, storytelling, dancing); and (c) provided support. They also reported their own past 3-month alcohol, cannabis, and opioid use and intentions to use. Having a higher proportion of social network members engaging in regular cannabis and heavy alcohol use was associated with more frequent cannabis use and stronger cannabis use intentions. Participants with lower proportions of social network members engaging in traditional practices, but higher proportions of social network members engaging in heavy alcohol use, regular cannabis use, or other drug use, were more likely to report their own cannabis use and intentions to use cannabis or drink alcohol. By contrast, participants with higher proportions of social network members engaging in traditional practices, and lower proportions of social network members engaging in heavy alcohol use, regular cannabis use, or other drug use, were less likely to report their own intentions to use cannabis or drink alcohol. Findings emphasized that having social network members who use substances increases the chance of use. Findings also highlighted that traditional practices might be an important part of the prevention approach for urban American Indian/Alaska Native emerging adults.

This paper, “Risk and protective factors of social networks on alcohol, cannabis, and opioid use among urban American Indian/Alaska Native emerging adults,” was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and published in the journal Psychology of addictive behaviors.