Purpose: Rising trends in alcohol consumption and early drinking initiation pose serious health risks especially for adolescents. Learner's prior knowledge about alcohol gained from the social surroundings and the media are important sources that can impact the learning outcomes in health education. The purpose of this paper is to map adolescents'…

This study aimed to examine (a) the impact of the change in the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" ("DSM") from a categorical to dimensional classification of substance use diagnoses, (b) the elimination of the legal criterion, and (c) the inclusion of a craving criterion in the "DSM"-5.…

Alcoholic beverage consumption among high school students has shifted from beer to liquor. The current longitudinal study examined the effects of beverage-specific alcohol use on drinking behaviors among urban youth. Data included 731 adolescents who participated in Project Northland Chicago and reported consuming alcohol in 7th grade. Logistic…

This study explored the relations between parental problem drinking, adolescent-parent communication, and adolescent psychosocial adjustment. Surveys were administered to a diverse sample of 683 15-17-years-old adolescents in the spring of 2007 and again in the spring of 2008. Results indicated that paternal problem drinking directly predicted…

Measurement and interpretation of alcohol use self-reports is characterized by a general lack of consensus. This study represents an effort to clarify what constitutes alcohol misuse among U.S. youth. A self-administered questionnaire eliciting opinions about cut-off point for alcohol misuse was mailed to 10 experts (7 men, 3 women) in alcohol…

Study reaffirmed the central significance of the peer group's influence on adolescent behavior. (Authors)

This questionnaire contains measures of attitudes, motivation, behavior and knowledge associated with alcohol use and abuse. Although the Adolescent Alcohol Questionnaire was created for use with a specific education program, results suggest its utility in the evaluation of other education programs. (Author)

The Portland (Oregon) Plan for Drug-Free Schools was so well-accepted in its first year that it was expanded from six middle schools in 1987-88 to all middle schools in the Portland Public Schools in 1988-89. The program was originally implemented in grades 6-12, with a special focus on six middle schools. The goals are the following: (1) develop…