Conducted large, systematic, descriptive study of parent-led programs (N=10) to prevent drug and alcohol use and abuse. Explored history of parent groups, structure and activities, roles of group participants, and perceptions of parents, youth, and community leaders. Results indicated that parent-led prevention was an active, although small-scale…

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)

Tested three alcohol use prevention curricula, one focused on teaching social pressure resistance skills, one focused on solidifying conservative group norms, and one focused on increasing student understanding of consequences of using alcohol. Results from fifth- and seventh-grade students confirmed that each program had differential effect on…

Reviews the scientific literature on children of alcoholics (COAs) from 1988 to 1992, which is divided into two categories: practitioner-oriented and research-oriented. Results indicate that recent research on COAs no longer suffers from earlier methodological problems, and that a large number of COAs are resilient, calling into question…

Assessed alcohol use by 1,190 fourth, fifth, and sixth graders in 4 rural school districts. Found that 596 students drank, but not regularly. Reported drinking increased with grade and age; males drank more than females. Child's attitude toward drinking, family attitudes toward drinking, number of drinking friends, and self-perceived wrongdoing by…

Used 1988 Australian national population survey to examine drug information needs. Results indicated almost one-half of respondents believed that they had an adequate amount of information about drug and alcohol services available. Drug users expressed greater desire for information and willingness to use variety of welfare and social support…

Substance abuse following recidivism is high for both men and women. Studies conducted at DePaul University suggest one type of recovery home for alcohol abuse recovery has potential. Within this self-help communal living setting, recovering alcoholics were able to maintain employment, thus increasing personal responsibility and possibly impacting…

Students at alternative high schools may be at substantial risk for drug abuse. Provides an overview of the drug-use-related context of continuation high schools in southern California. A total of 144 students and 96 staff were interviewed from 20 continuation high schools. Data indicated continuation school students had high levels of substance…

Investigates direct and mediating effects of mechanisms hypothesized to account for the association between parental problem drinking and later problem drinking by offspring. Parents' drinking affected later problematic alcohol use by offspring. For both sexes, parental problem drinking reduced adaptive family functioning, which was subsequently…

The college environment appears to encourage heavy drinking. Consequently, correlates of student drinking were assessed at college entrance. First-semester freshmen (N = 520, 54 percent women) completed self-report measures of social affiliation and self/peer drinking for high school and college. Analyses indicated that: 1) increased drinking at…

Substance use disorders among college students are not well understood, and the present study examined the relationship of two environmental factors to alcohol and drug use problems in 616 (316 women) college students. Participants completed measures assessing substance use problems, life events, and substance use among peers. Alcohol use problems…

In this article we discuss the importance of the cultural tailoring (CT) of classroom-based prevention curricula to ensure their relevance to, and increase their receptivity by, racial and ethnic minority adolescent populations. Following a review of the pertinent literature, we develop an integrated model of CT that conceptualizes such…

There is now ample evidence that teachers tend to make substantial modifications to both the prescribed content and methods of the curricula they administer, and that such modifications are likely to attenuate curricula effects. We examine the fidelity with which teachers implement "Protecting You, Protecting Me," an underage alcohol use…

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…

Describes a study of sources of alcohol and drug information among Israeli urban adolescents in the north of Israel in 1993. Data were obtained form 1,346 students (50.9% male, 49.1% female) who indicated the amount of information they had received from 10 sources about 8 categories of drugs. Implications for prevention are discussed. (Author/KW)