Contact: Jim Dryden
jdryden@wustl.edu
314-286-0110
Washington University School of Medicine

Substance Use and Educational Attainment

Caption: Using alcohol, nicotine or illegal drugs at a young age decreases the likelihood that a person will finish college. Studying twins, Washington University researchers have found that those who began drinking or using drugs at a very young age, and those who developed drug or alcohol dependence, also tended to be less likely to stay in school long enough to earn a degree.

Credit: Washington University BioMed Radio

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Related news release: Early substance use linked to lower educational achievement