The report aims to describe chronic drug users, emerging drugs, new routes of administration, varying use patterns, changing demand for treatment, drug-related criminal activity, drug markets, and shifts in supply and distribution patterns. Pulse Check regularly addresses four drugs of serious concern: heroin, crack cocaine/powder cocaine,…

CASAWORKS for Families is the first national demonstration program to provide simultaneously drug and alcohol treatment; literacy, job, parenting, and social skills training; family violence prevention; and health care to help substance-abusing welfare parents recover. Its mission is to help women on welfare with substance abuse problems achieve…

In this study, differential substance use between American and Australian college students was assessed through administration of a survey concerning recent use of six commonly used psychoactive substances (cigarettes, chewing tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and caffeine). Situational contexts associated with the use of each particular…

This report serves as a source of information on drug abuse and drug markets. It aims to describe drug-abusing populations; emerging drugs; new routes of administration; varying use patterns; changing demand for treatment; drug-related criminal activity; and shifts in supply and distribution patterns. It is not designed to be used as a law…

Examined 4-year-olds for effects on IQ of prenatal cocaine exposure, exposure to other substances, risk factors, and neonatal medical problems. Found that maternal verbal IQ and low environmental risk predicted child IQ. Cocaine exposure negatively predicted children's overall IQ and verbal reasoning scores for boys only. Maternal harsh…

Toddlers in foster care, exposed prenatally to cocaine, were assessed for development, temperament, play behaviors, and adaptive and maladaptive behaviors. Compared to nonexposed toddlers, these toddlers possessed more risk factors at birth and experienced more illnesses after birth; scored lower on conceptual development and higher on expression…

Analysis of data on 1,121 older adolescents and young adults from a national longitudinal survey examined effects of community involvement, social satisfaction, social network size, race, gender, and age on use of alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine. Social support did influence use of alcohol and other drugs, but the direction of influence varied by…

Two male adults with cocaine dependence received a behavioral intervention comprised of contingency management and the community reinforcement approach. Reinforcement was delivered contingent on submitting cocaine-free (and subsequently marijuana-free) urine specimens. The intervention was efficacious in achieving abstinence from cocaine and…

Compared cognitive functioning of infants--at 8 and 18 months--with varying levels of prenatal cocaine exposure. Found that, with risk and polydrug exposure controlled, exposure groups did not differ at 8 months on Bayley Scales or recovery to a novel stimulus. Infants with heavy exposure or high environmental risk declined in mental development…

Examines a program in which two teen counselors model relatedness and authenticity with their sixth-grade counselees. Investigates the background of the program and identifies being "real" and being "realistic" as expressions of an ethic of caring, which gives power to the program's vision of drug-abuse prevention. (EMK)

Cocaine use during pregnancy is a high-risk indicator for adverse developmental outcomes. Three levels of intervention (center, home, and primary care) were compared in a full service, birth to age 3, early intervention program serving children exposed to cocaine prenatally. Data were collected on 130 children from urban, predominantly poor,…

Prior studies of juvenile drug courts have been constrained by small samples, inadequate comparison groups, or limited outcome measures. The authors report on a 3-year evaluation that examines the impact of juvenile drug court participation on recidivism and drug use. A quasi-experimental design is used to compare juveniles assigned to drug court…

This report finds that adolescent smoking, drinking, misusing prescription drugs and using illegal drugs is, by any measure, a public health problem of epidemic proportion, presenting clear and present danger to millions of America's teenagers and severe and expensive long-range consequences for the entire population. This report is a wake-up call…

This final report discusses the outcomes of the federally funded Infant Care Project (ICP) that provided comprehensive and continuous services to 99 women who had used cocaine during pregnancy and their infants. The ICP model combined high risk obstetric care, infant and child development services, and substance abuse services on site in the…

This publication includes abstracts of 45 articles published in recent years on the effects of maternal and paternal alcohol and other drug use on the fetus; prevention and intervention programs; and teaching strategies to be used with prenatally drug-exposed children. While not an exhaustive list of available research on these topics, this review…