Research has found mixed results when comparing the extent of substance use among Hispanic youths with use among non-Hispanic youths. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) asks persons aged 12 or older about their use of illicit drugs and alcohol, including binge alcohol use, in the past month. Binge alcohol use is defined as drinking…

Using a question and answer format, this booklet is designed to inform teens about the dangers of marijuana usage. Inset facts about marijuana and teen perspectives compliment the following topics: (1) What is marijuana? (2) How is marijuana used? (3) How long does marijuana stay in the user's body? (4) How many teens smoke marijuana? (5) Why do…

Males are more likely to use, abuse, and be dependent on alcohol or illicit drugs than females. The 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) asked questions of persons aged 12 or older to assess their use of alcohol and illicit drugs, as well as their symptoms of substance dependence or abuse during the past year. NSDUH defines "any…

How log-linear models for multiwave longitudinal data can be used to test hypotheses relating to stagelike relationships between variables is demonstrated using data from research on adolescent cigarette and marijuana experimentation. Results with 2,658 adolescents show that the multiwave analyses allow the testing of several hypotheses. (SLD)

Investigated relationship between marijuana use, marijuana misuse, and personality among high school students (N=146) from middle- and upper-middle-class backgrounds. Results indicated relationship between personality characteristics of adolescents who were involved in marijuana use and misuse and adolescents who were not; there were discernible…

Based on a self-report survey conducted on a large American Indian reservation, an estimated $8.3 million is spent annually on drugs and alcohol by reservation adolescents nationwide. This includes an estimated $2.8 million for alcohol and $4.5 million for marijuana. Contains 15 references. (SV)

Differences among younger and older adolescents in the influence of family structure, family relations, and peer relations on marijuana use were studied in the sample (n=1,725) from the National Youth Survey, 1976-78. Relative effects of drug-using peers and family variables are identified for younger and older adolescents. (SLD)

Explores whether student teachers who report suicide ideation and suicide attempts also report higher levels of substance use. Three hundred and sixty-nine student teachers completed the Student Teacher Drug Use Survey. Results show more drug use in student teachers who had attempted suicide. Discusses implications for teacher education.…

Examines whether those who participated in high school athletics have a different pattern of marijuana use than comparable nonathletes. Male athletes have a higher incidence of marijuana use than nonathletes. The opposite is true for female athletes who are more likely than nonathletes to try marijuana after high school. (MKA)

Sixteen 17-year-old kibbutz members, including 7 hashish smokers and 9 nonsmokers, assessed the probability that a young person of similar background would use drugs. It was found that hashish smokers assigned meaningful importance to a combined influence of personal predisposition and group pressure, while the nonsmokers considered only group…

Cross-sectional data were collected on substance use behaviors and potential correlates in 1,494 African American students enrolled in grades 5-12 in eight schools in a central Alabama school district. Using a risk and asset framework, self-reported recent alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use were analyzed by identifying and measuring levels of…

This study examined the impact of a school-based preventive intervention on cannabis use in adolescence, using a cluster-randomized trial of a multilevel intervention aimed at improving social relationships within schools by promoting change in school environment. Four waves of data were collected at baseline (1997, Year 8: mean age 13 years) and…

Recreational use of illicit drugs (i.e. use not associated with a diagnosed drug problem) may cause psychological and social harm. A recent systematic review found that evidence for this was equivocal. Extensive evidence was only available in relation to cannabis use. This was relatively consistently associated with lower educational attainment…

This paper presents the findings of a five-year study of year-11 pupils (15?16 years old), based on a sample drawn from seven schools in the North West of England. It examines: use, feelings about close friend's use and perceptions of the health-related risks of specific drugs. The findings conform with those examining other similar populations,…

This paper explores the relationship between adolescent marijuana use and school attendance. Data were pooled from the 1997 and 1998 National Household Surveys on Drug Abuse to form a sample of 15 168 adolescents, aged 12-18 years, who had not yet complete high school. The analysis determined the role of marijuana use in adolescent school dropout…