What are the reasons studies hesitate to mention a cause and effect to explain drug use?
The research literature and books on the topic are replete with theories about cause and effect of drug use. In the case of adolescents, see for example Praitis, J., and Flay, B.R. 1995. “Reviewing theories of adolescent substance use: Organizing pieces in the puzzle.” Psychological Bulletin, 117(1), pp. 67-86. Effects of substance use are summarized in many sources. Perhaps the best is the latest edition of Weil, A., and Rosen, W. 2004. “From Chocolate to Morphine: Everything You Need to Know about Mind-Altering Drugs.” Boston: Houghton/Mifflin. You can read a review of the book and buy a copy in our Resources section. The most important principle on the effects of drugs is that two factors other than the drug have a powerful influence. These are “set,” or the mental state of the user at the time, and “setting,” or the environment in which use takes place. For example, the effects of alcohol would be barely noticeable at a social event such as a museum fundraiser as contrasted with a
