Because adolescent smoking can predispose teen-agers to later illegal drug use, social policies which reduce tobacco use by teens may provide one of the most effective ways to reduce future illegal drug use. Any nation that seeks to prevent marijuana, heroin, and cocaine use, but neglects smoking by adolescents is pursuing ineffective social policy. However, the primary reason to avoid tobacco use is not because of its gateway function, but because of the tremendous morbidity and mortality it directly causes. Tobacco use kills more than 20 times as many Americans each year as all illegal drugs combined. The very term — “gateway drug” — is unfortunate because it implies smoking is dangerous only because it leads to the “bad drugs.” Nevertheless, existence of cigarette gateway drug function gives society a significant additional reason to address tobacco use. Health advocates must acknowledge that the massive public health problem of smoking is a low priority for a significant segment of society. However, many people in this group possess strong feelings regarding the need to combat the use of illegal drugs. Educating these people on how tobacco use predisposes individuals to use “hard drugs” may convince them to address effectively adolescent tobacco issues by implementing appropriate tobacco control policies. Similarly, many political leaders who are strong vocal critics of illegal drugs are simultaneously firm supporters of the tobacco industry. Increased public under standing of tobacco’s gateway drug function makes it increasingly difficult for politicians to neglect the issue of adolescent tobacco use. Elimination of adolescent tobacco use will not solve the intractable problem of illicit drug use. No single strategy can accomplish that goal. Successful reduction of the problem consists of sustained multifaceted strategies combined in a “total system approach.” An important component of a total system approach for reducing use of marijuana, crack, heroin and other illicit drugs involves acknowledging tobacco’s powerful gateway drug function and implementing adequate policies that reduce adolescent tobacco use.

Source: Gordon B. Lindsay. PhD, Associate Professor.
Brigham Young University 229E RB, Provo, UT 84602:
and Jacquie Raine, PhD, Assistant Professor,
Central Arkansas University Dept. of Health Sciences,
Box – 5016, Conway. AR 72035.
– Published in Journal of School Health • April 1997, Vol. 67, No. 4