Background: Since 1984, Students Taking a Right Stand (STARS) Nashville has implemented Student Assistance Programs (SAPs) in the middle Tennessee area, to include 14 counties and 16 school districts. STARS Nashville serves K-12 with a focus in middle and high schools. Methods: The current study reviewed studies that utilized quasi-experimental…

A multimedia game was designed to serve as a dual-purpose intervention that aligned with National Science Content Standards, while also conveying knowledge about the consequences of alcohol consumption for a secondary school audience. A tertiary goal was to positively impact adolescents' attitudes toward science through career role-play…

This study examined the association of perceived social support and community empowerment among urban middle-school students living in Matamoros, Mexico and the risk behaviors of fighting, alcohol and tobacco use, and sexual activity. Middle school students (n = 1,181) from 32 public and private Mexican schools were surveyed. Weighted multiple…

Prospective assessment of alcohol and drug abuse among middle school students involved students in 13 schools, with 7,562 students in grades six, seven, and eight completing baseline questionnaires. Data from the three grades revealed dramatic increases in the level of initiation of alcohol and drug abuse and negative consequences through the…

Examined the value of advisory sessions from the perspective of urban African-American middle school students. Found that students believed that their advisory sessions fail to adequately address sexuality issues and drug and alcohol abuse, and that advisors fail to develop a trusting and caring relationship. Findings also supported a change in…

Asserts that elementary and middle school counselors are concerned about how to prevent substance abuse among students and how to identify substance abuse when it occurs. Discusses facts about various drugs, their effects, and evidence of abuse. Includes discussions of alcohol, stimulants, inhalants, cocaine, psychedelics, depressants, narcotics,…

Followed students annually from sixth through eighth grade to determine: (1) susceptibility to peer influence to misbehave, exposure to peer drinking, and alcohol overindulgence; (2) cohort and gender differences; and (3) moderating influences. Found that the exposure/overindulgence relationship varied as a function of initial susceptibility.…

Compared adjudicated male adolescents (N=37) to middle school students on measures of glucose nadir and urinary 5-HIAA (5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid), a serotonin metabolite. Results show that adjudicated youth had significantly lower levels of both substances, supporting previous studies linking low glucose and 5-HIAA levels to impulsivity,…

Paper examines ethnic differences in licit and illicit drug use among American 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students, with a particular focus on girls. Across ethnic groups, drug use is highest among Native American girls and lowest among black and Asian American girls. Trend data suggest that girls' and boys' drug use patterns are converging.…

This study explored stages of alcohol acquisition and risk factors associated with stages based on the Multi-Component Motivational Stages model. Subjects were 254 urban middle schoolers (90% black, 62% female). Questionnaire results indicated that most students were in a precontemplation stage for alcohol use. Alcohol use was found to be the best…

Describes creation and development of Drinking Is Not Our Solution (DINOS) software. Designed to provide both counselors and students with a way to explore attitudes toward drinking, it permits a young person to independently assess his or her own choices by identifying with characters. (JBJ)

Examined the effectiveness of a 2-year, stage-based alcohol prevention intervention using nurse consultations and parent prevention materials among 6th graders in one neighborhood school and one bused magnet inner-city school. Students received either the experimental program or a minimal intervention. Student surveys and saliva testing indicated…