The author's son Jeff is a heroin addict. He was not born this way, or maybe he was and the addiction was there, hiding, all through his childhood years. That is the thing with addiction, no one knows the cause. The author has spent a lot of time trying to ferret out the answer to why one of her two sons is an addict and the other is not. She now…

Adolescents need the opportunity learn and think about their use of alcohol just as desperately as they needed information about drugs. Unfortunately, most people, adolescent and adult, equate teaching about drinking with moralizing. (Authors)

A general social class trend has been observed in the practices and attitudes of college students regarding sexual permissiveness, smoking, and drug usage. Of the socioeconomic classes examined, practices and attitudes appeared to be most liberal in the upper class, and most conservative in the lower middle class. (Author)

Several surveys conducted over the past few years indicate that serious alcohol use among students remains at high levels. Health officials say students must begin to consider alcohol as a drug and not different from illegal substances. (MLW)

a questionnaire on marijuana was completed by 460 students; one on alcohol was completed by 465 students. Results reveal that the relationship between the use of these two drugs is complex. Students' attitudes toward their parents are related to their use of marijuana but not to their use of alcohol. The use of alcohol is a pattern of continuity…

The University of Texas Alcohol and Drug Related Survey is an 82-item questionnaire designed to measure student responses in five areas of critical concern: (a) demographic information, (b) current drinking behaviors, (c) attitudes toward drinking, (d) general knowledge concerning excessive use of alcohol, and (e) knowledge of and willingness to…

In 1970, 1974 and 1978 similar surveys of alcohol and drug use were conducted using 10% random samples of Vancouver secondary school students (grades 8-12). The reported use of alcohol increased from 61% in 1970 to 71% in 1974 and 78% in 1978, while the use of cannabis increased from 39% in 1970 to 42% in 1974 and 47% in 1978. The use of tobacco,…

This study investigates the role of stress in the substance use behavior of black and white college students. We examine the issue across race and look both at measures of traumatic stress and life stress. A perusal of the research literature reveals that the relationship between traumatic stressors and substance use behavior among both black and…

The intent of this survey is to achieve an understanding of the drug using patterns of youngsters in New York's secondary schools. It was initiated to gather in detail the extent and dimensions of alcohol and drug use among a sample of New York students in grades seven through twelve. This survey was conceived as a benchmark study--to establish a…

The National Collegiate Drug Awareness Week 1988 (conceived and initiated by the Inter-Association Task Force on Alcohol and Other Substance Issues) began with a Kick-Off Conference of educators that provided students and professionals an opportunity to share ideas and experiences. One-page abstracts of 17 conference presentations are as follows:…

How can state leaders mobilize to meet the health and safety needs of its school-age children? To understand more about children's health, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has surveyed Wisconsin students. In 1993 the DPI and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) joined forces to conduct the Youth Risk Behavior Survey.…

Part of a national survey effort by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) conducted in Wisconsin public schools in 1997 is presented. The core of the survey measures 16 objectives set by CDC as part of its Year 2000 initiative. Additional questions were added specifically for Wisconsin.…