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…

Indianapolis gifted students in grades five-seven created a museum exhibit to express the views of youth while giving adults an opportunity to listen. The process involved brainstorming, selecting a topic (drug and alcohol abuse), gathering information, forming committees, building a scale model, and creating the actual exhibit. (JDD)

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,…

Assessed impact of school-based social competence training on skills, social adjustment, and self-reported substance use of 282 sixth and seventh graders. Found positive training effects on subjects' skills in handling interpersonal problems and coping with anxiety. Teacher ratings revealed improvements in subjects' constructive conflict…

Performed meta-analysis upon eight California school-based risk reduction programs designed to deter fourth through eighth grade students from the use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. Found that information-focused interventions had more impact upon knowledge but less upon attitudes and behavior whereas alternative interventions had less…

This study examined how brief nurse consultations helped prevent alcohol use among urban youth. Surveys of sixth-eighth graders who did and did not complete the consultations indicated that intervention students reduced and control students increased their heavy drinking following the intervention. There were no differences on other alcohol use…

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…

Examined the relationship between junior high school students' participation in an alcohol prevention program and level of refusal skills (as measured by role plays), noting the relationship between refusal skills and alcohol misuse over three years. Regression analysis indicated that refusal skills were significant mediators of the effect of the…

Designed to help students understand substance abuse and exercise civic responsibility, this book examines the problem of drugs in an imagary middle school, "Jackson Middle School." Students are asked to work with other members of their class to develop a plan to deal with the problem of drugs and alcohol in that school. After completing their…

The Project Northland peer participation program tested the feasibility and effect of involving students in planning and promoting alcohol-free peer social activities. Longitudinal studies indicated nearly half of the student cohort participated. There was a relationship between students' involvement with planning and lower rate of alcohol use.…

Curriculum infusion makes a new topic an integral part of an existing curriculum, integrating it into subject areas throughout the curriculum over time. In a tobacco, alcohol, and other drug infusion curriculum, examples might include: discussing alcohol-related themes as they arise in literature, evaluating tobacco statistics in math, studying…

This curriculum provides American Indian youth with a framework for learning about the effects of alcohol on the body and the community. The curriculum stresses the development of scientific thinking skills and was designed for upper elementary and middle level students. The guide consists of four units: How Does Alcohol Circulate through the Body…