The efficacy of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and psychotropic medications in children with autism is limited to the treatment of seizures or to specific behaviors such as irritability, impulsivity, hyperactivity, repetitive behaviors, or aggression. The reliability and value of the available data--to determine the efficacy of these medications in…

A comparison of personality factors on scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent (MMPI-A) was conducted with a sample of adolescents referred to a residential substance abuse treatment program. A total of sixty adolescents identified with hallucinogen (n = 20), cannabis (n = 20), or methamphetamine (n = 20) as their drug…

In recent years, disrupting the supply of illicit drugs and injecting equipment inside Her Majesty's (HM) prisons has become an important focus for prison drug policy. This paper presents findings from qualitative research, which invited 24 drug injectors with prison experience to discuss the role and operation of illicit drug and injecting…

Research on family risk factors for addictive behaviors in young people has not paid a great deal of attention to parents' knowledge of their children's addictive behaviors and of the family risk factors that affect such behaviors. The aim of this work is to compare knowledge about these two aspects in two groups of parents that differ regarding…

This report provides an analysis of recent findings on drug and alcohol use trends among girls. Data indicate that girls have caught up with boys in illicit drug and alcohol use and have actually surpassed boys in cigarette and prescription drug use. Also, more girls than boys are new users of substances. Marijuana is the illicit drug most widely…

Since 1975, the Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey has annually studied the extent of drug use among high school 12th-graders. The survey was expanded in 1991 to include 8th- and 10th graders. It is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and is conducted by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. The goal of…

Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) conducted campus-wide surveys on drug and alcohol use in 1977, 1983, 1987, and 1992. This survey was generated during the 1992 Fall semester. Results show that alcohol and drug use at MTSU has changed little in 15 years. The most noticeable change was the reduced use of marijuana by males. Cigarette smoking…

Expectant parents are introduced to the effects of a variety of drugs on the unborn baby. Material is divided into seven sections. Section 1 deals with the most frequently used recreational drugs, including alcohol, marijuana, narcotics, depressants, stimulants, inhalants, and hallucinogens. Sections 2 and 3 focus on the effects of prescription…

This study investigated the questions of whether addicts have more negative self-attitudes than their matched controls, and if they do, whether the constructs of self theory are able to explain the differences. Subjects were selected from white middle socioeconomic status (WMSES) narcotic addicts being treated under the Narcotic Addict…

In Ann Arbor, Michigan, penalties for the possession of small amounts of marijuana were changed three times in four years. This provided an opportunity to assess the relationship between changes in the legal status of marijuana and the use of marijuana and five other classes of drugs. Data were collected by anonymous self-report questionnaires…

Describes a drug treatment case which involved family counseling and group therapy. Using transcripts of actual sessions, commentary by the author and critiques by other writers, explores the problems and issues of treating drug addicts. (EJT)

The goal of this report is to briefly summarize the state of drug abuse education, with frequent reference to authoritative figures in the field. Personal decision-making is discussed, along with advantages and hazards concerning reliance on youthful attempts to reach independent conclusions regarding drug use. (Author/BW)

Initial data from a survey of drug usage among college students was presented. A large-scale effort was made to produce reliable figures on: (1) drug use patterns; (2) attitudes toward drug use; and (3) incidence of drug use among college students. Questionnaires were answered by 26,000 college students from the Denver-Boulder area, who were…

While extensive materials exist regarding types of drugs and motivations of users, the job supervisor, trainer and teacher still lacks information on how to recognize the behavioral manifestations of drug abuse in an educational and/or work setting. The manual, through detailed vignettes and questions addressed to the reader, deals with various…