The purpose of this study was to investigate the longitudinal effect of marijuana and heavy alcohol use on the productivity status of nonmetropolitan African American young adults. This analysis was based on secondary data from the Family and Community Health Study. For alcohol, the study evaluated the effects on productivity status for…

This study focused on the strategies adolescents endorsed for situations in which friends were experimenting with alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Four hypothetical vignettes (concerning a friend smoking, using drugs, getting drunk at a party, or deciding whether to attend a party with alcohol and drugs) were presented to 2697 5th-12th graders.…

Obtained data from 16,117 high school students in 15 Brazilian cities concerning participation in extracurricular activities and consumption of drugs and alcohol. In majority of cases, no association was found between attendance of artistic-, community-, or sports-related activities and substance use. Weak but constant negative association was…

Research has shown significant declines in gateway drug use among participants in a school/community substance abuse prevention intervention in a midwestern, suburban school district (Lohrmann, Alter, Greene, & Younoszai, 2005). Though still at or below national levels, student marijuana use was not impacted as positively. The current study…

Examined frequency and prevalence of drug and alcohol use among 850 university employees. Explored alcohol and drug use within past year and month among university faculty, administrators, clerical staff, and physical plant/custodial staff. Found stress weakly correlated with some drug use in past month; depression consistently correlated with…

Examined hypothesis that use of psychoactive substances is strongly associated with social deviance. Investigated patterns of alcohol and drug use among 97 juvenile delinquents, 184 detached youth, and 8,151 high school students in Israel. Results clearly indicated that psychoactive substance use was concentrated among Israeli groups of deviant…

Examined epidemiology of self-reported drug-taking behaviors among university students (N=683). Data analyses focused on specific settings and social groups in which drug use occurred and on frequency and type of drug-taking behaviors. Findings identified four distinct groups of drug users. (Author/NB)

This article describes a "system approach" training project which utilizes the formation and implementation of localized strategic (action) plans for targeting substance abuse prevention. Participants surveyed in the program reported positive attitudes about the program due to their training and their ability to resist substance abuse…

This study compared the perceptions of head athletic trainers (HATS) from NCAA member Divisions I, II, and III regarding current athletic department drug education policies in their institutions. A Web-based questionnaire collected responses from 353 HATS. Drug education programs focused more on providing information about the negative…

Examined interactive nature of age in predicting alcohol, marijuana, and drug use among 435 seventh and eleventh graders. Found statistically significant interaction terms for age with peer and social control factors for each type of usage. Findings suggest that many factors commonly associated with adolescent usage may be conditioned by age.…

Uses the concept of cross-pressures to predict frequency of adolescent alcohol, cigarette, and drug use. Eighth-, 10th-, and 12-grade respondents reported frequency of alcohol, cigarette, and drug use for 30 days prior to the survey. They also reported perceptions of friends' approval/disapproval of substance use, peer pressure to use, and their…

This article synthesizes current empirical evidence for the interaction between stress level, stress modification, and drug abuse. The authors analyze 13 research studies of women; and they profile consistencies and inconsistencies in the findings, provide critiques of key methodological issues, and examine implications for future research,…

Examines relationships between middle school/junior high student latchkey status and experimentation with alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. Results indicate latchkey youth who were home alone two or more days per week were four times more likely to have gotten drunk in the past month than youths who had parental supervision five or more times a week.…

This article examines three successive surveys of 5th- though 12th-grade students who were exposed to a variety of both school- and community-based prevention and intervention programs. The surveys indicated a decrease in drug use. The author offers her evaluation of the perceived effectiveness of the community's prevention efforts. (RJM)

This study provides empirical data on the substance use behaviors of delinquent and homeless youths. Results indicate that these children use tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs at higher rates than adolescents in general. Drug education and prevention programs must be tailored to fit the needs of these at-risk populations. (RJM)