Out of school youth: exploring the social and cognitive correlates of early school leaving and alcohol and tobacco use

South African youth who have dropped out of school are at heightened risk of tobacco and alcohol use compared to in-school learners. The aim of the thesis is to 1) understand why young people in South Africa leave school, 2) explore the relationship between reasons for leaving school and alcohol and tobacco use, 3) gain insight into the nature and quality of relationships with family and friends and its association with early school leaving, alcohol and tobacco use. Survey and interview data was used in this thesis. The findings highlight the need for interventions to be grounded within a framework of poverty reduction and social upliftment of young people.