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Psychosocial and Pharmacologic Explanations of Nicotine's “Gateway Drug” Function
Author(s) -
Lindsay Gordon B.,
Rainey Jacquie
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of school health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.851
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1746-1561
pISSN - 0022-4391
DOI - 10.1111/j.1746-1561.1997.tb03430.x
Subject(s) - gateway (web page) , cognitive dissonance , psychosocial , psychology , nicotine , drug , cognition , illicit drug , mechanism (biology) , psychoactive drug , clinical psychology , psychotherapist , medicine , psychiatry , social psychology , philosophy , epistemology , world wide web , computer science
Research has shown that adolescent users of tobacco are much more likely to progress to use of illicit drugs than are nonusers of tobacco. This article suggests potential psychosocial reasons for the progression based on principles of learning theory, Theory of Reasoned Action, Health Belief Model, and Cognitive Dissonance. In addition, a neuropharmacologic causal mechanism is discussed. The existence of tobacco's gateway function has important implications in the nation's efforts to reduce illicit drug use and adolescent smoking.