Thrillseeking boys with helicopter dads and troublemaker mates more likely to try meth later in life

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-04-11 11:29

New Zealand

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A long-term study following 1200 Christchurch residents from birth to age 40 has uncovered associations between methamphetamine use and childhood. The police-funded study found that males with high novelty seeking and "deviant" peers in childhood were more likely to have either tried meth or use it regularly in adulthood. Adults who had childhood conduct problems and whose parents used drugs were more likely to end up as regular meth users, while adults who were anxious or withdrawn in childhood, or had overprotective fathers, were more likely to have used methamphetamine at some point, but not regularly. The authors recommend targeting meth harm prevention towards young men with the above risk factors.