Many researchers have studied predictors of adolescent substance use. One important predictor of substance use is the quality of the parent-child relationship. Most studies address the parent-child relationship unidimensionally. This study hypothesized that it is not use of a particular substance that can be predicted from a poor parent-child…

Estimates of first-time drug use, referred to as incidence or initiation, provide an important measure of the Nation's drug use problem. They suggest emerging patterns of use and identify periods of heightened risk for an immediate focus on the prevention of substance use, particularly among children and youths. This report contains an analysis of…

Assessed three constructs (resilient, invulnerable, and vulnerable) as they related to marijuana use, examining the role of spirituality and social support as potential buffering mechanisms. Data on 103 African American undergraduates from two historically black colleges indicated that students who continued to use marijuana were less spiritual…

Examines the relationship between school norms of substance use disapproval and students' use of cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana. Analysis indicated that in general, school-level disapproval lowered the probability of students' use of these substances. A school environment of disapproval was also found to create a protective environment for…

Studied use of alcohol and drugs in transitional phase from adolescence to young adulthood by analyzing data from a prospective longitudinal national survey of 2000 young adults. Findings showed a significant impact of this transitional period on both alcohol consumption and use of cannabis and a higher alcohol consumption among those who had left…

This study compared prevalence of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use among 123 adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) and 138 nondisabled students. Only tobacco and marijuana use was proportionally higher for adolescents with learning disabilities. Scores on the Adolescent Drinking Index were reliable predictors of marijuana use for LD…

Lists 36 references and abstracts of publications on drug and alcohol use of American Indian youth, by staff of the Tri-Ethnic Center for Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, since 1978. Includes papers on high rates of use, epidemiology, psychosocial correlates of use, prevention, and treatment. (SV)

Studied correlations between self-reported alcohol and marijuana use by college students (n=557) and peer and parental alcohol use, family alcohol abuse, and legalization attitudes. Major predictors for alcohol use were maternal alcohol use followed by peer use. Major predictors for marijuana use were desire for legalization followed by peer use…

Examined alcohol and drug taking behavior of approximately 1,000 students at public university in deep South. Contrary to popularized regional image of more conservative behavior toward drugs and alcohol, results indicated that sampled college students reflect substance use behaviors of students elsewhere in several respects. (Author/NB)

Randomly assigned adults (n=212) seeking treatment for marijuana use to relapse prevention (RP) or social support (SSP) group discussion intervention. Data collected at 12 months posttreatment revealed substantial reductions in frequency of marijuana use and associated problems; no significant difference between treatments on days of marijuana…

Examined alcohol and drug use of 440 college students. Ninety percent indicated that they currently used alcohol or had done so in past; 39% used alcohol at least weekly; and less than 1% reported daily use. Forty percent indicated previous or current marijuana use, 11% cocaine, and 11% "speed" or other stimulants. (Author/NB)

Introduces special issue that collectively presents a substance abuse prevention approach that is part of a program called Prevention Engineering. The model emphasizes the measurement of indicators of substance abuse problems, particularly with marijuana use. Articles include topics on epidemiology; evidence of the harmful and helpful uses of…

Reviews studies that examined perceived risk or beliefs about harmful effects associated with marijuana use. Perceived risk was construed as consisting of at least four areas (physical harm; parental disapproval; peer disapproval; fear of arrest). Perception of risk varied with several factors including age and gender. Secondary data analysis was…

Synthesizes evaluation of drug use programs (N=37) in schools for grades 6-12 by coding program characteristics and calculating weighted effect sizes (WES) for marijuana use. Program type and sample size were found to be significant predictors of program effectiveness. The primary finding for prevention program planning is that interactive…

This study evaluated the efficacy of 2 brief interventions for cannabis-dependent adults. A multisite randomized controlled trial compared cannabis use outcomes across 3 study conditions: (a) 2 sessions of motivational enhancement therapy (MET); (b) 9 sessions of multicomponent therapy that included MET, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and case…