Some studies have demonstrated an increased risk of high school dropout among adolescent who are involved in health risk behaviors, such as drug use, pregnancy and fertility. Mensch and Kandel (1988), in an analysis of a sample of 6,217 women and men aged 19 to 27, examined the relationship between high school dropout and drug use, including alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other illicit drugs using NLSY data. For both males and females, later age of drug use initiation decreased likelihood of dropping out of high school. For males, later alcohol, marijuana, and other illicit drug use initiation decreased the likelihood of dropping out of high school. For females, later cigarette use and marijuana initiation decreased the likelihood of dropping out of high school. They also found that any type of drug use initiation occurring prior to dropping out was associated with an increased likelihood of dropping out among men and women (Mensch and Kandel, 1988).