TY  - JOUR
AU  - Grossman,Michael
AU  - Kaestner,Robert
AU  - Markowitz,Sara
TI  - Get High and Get Stupid: The Effect of Alcohol and Marijuana Use on Teen Sexual Behavior
JF  - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
VL  - No. 9216
PY  - 2002
Y2  - September 2002
UR  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w9216
L1  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w9216.pdf
N1  - Author contact info:
Michael Grossman
Ph.D. Program in Economics
City University of New York Graduate Center
365 Fifth Avenue, 5th Floor
New York, NY  10016-4309
Tel: 212/817-7959
Fax: 212/817-1597
E-Mail: mgrossman@gc.cuny.edu

Robert Kaestner
Institute of Government and Public Affairs
University of Illinois
815 West Van Buren Street, Suite 525
Chicago, IL  60607
Tel: 312/996-8227
E-Mail: kaestner.robert@gmail.com

Sara Markowitz
Department of Economics
Emory University
1602 Fishburne Dr.
Atlanta, GA 30322
Tel: (404) 712-8167
E-Mail: sara.markowitz@emory.edu
AB  - Numerous studies have documented a strong correlation between substance use and teen sexual behavior, and this empirical relationship has given rise to a widespread belief that substance use causes teens to engage in risky sex.  This causal link is often used by advocates to justify policies targeted at reducing substance use.  Here, we argue that previous research has not produced sufficient evidence to substantiate a causal relationship between substance use and teen sexual behavior. Accordingly, we attempt to estimate causal effects using two complementary research approaches.  Our findings suggest that substance use is not causally related to teen sexual behavior, although we cannot definitively rule out that possibility.
ER  -