Among 3,907 seventh-twelfth grade students in rural Illinois, ages at first use for alcohol, tobacco, and drugs were lower than national averages. Specific drug and alcohol education programs should be implemented before age of first use for 10 percent of students. Contains 20 references and 3 data tables. (SV)

Explored drug overdose mortality and its economic consequences through examination of Texas mortality data from 1980-86. Compared crude mortality rates across 10 drug categories. Found drug overdose mortality costs had more than doubled over 6-year period. Found men had greater illicit drug overdose risk than women; women had greater prescribed…

Used data from Ontario Alcohol and Drug Use Among Students survey (N=4,267) to determine how reported alcohol and cannabis (marijuana) use changed with increased exposure to drug education. Concluded drug education had stronger influence on younger students and lighter drinkers but little impact on heavy drinkers. Found decrease in cannabis use…

A study investigated drug use by fourth-year medical students in 13 schools and compared drug use patterns with those of an age- and sex-matched cohort. Medical students reported less use of marijuana, cocaine, cigarettes, LSD, barbiturates, and amphetamines, similar use of opiates, and slightly more use of tranquilizers and alcohol. (MSE)

Data collected in 1972 found single common factor accounting for positive correlations among various adolescent problem behaviors, including problem drinking, marijuana use, delinquent-type behavior, and precocious sexual intercourse. Conducted maximum-likelihood factor analyses in 1985 on new samples of high school juniors and seniors. Replicated…

Using an approach to the analysis of missing data, this study investigated developmental trends in alcohol, marijuana, and cigarette use among 750 adolescents across 5 years using multiple-group latent growth modeling. Latent variable structural equation modeling and missing data approaches to studying developmental change are explored. (SLD)

Overall drug use by Indian and non-Indian youth increased from 1975 to the early 1980s, then declined. Indian youth were consistently more involved with drugs than were non-Indians. Longitudinal data suggest a recent decline in drug use resulting from moderate users shifting to nonuse, but not heavy users. (SV)

Assessed substance use by 2,125 students in grades 4 through 12 and explored differences between students' reported substance use and parents' perceptions of student use. While all parents believed that some students were using cigarettes, alcohol, or marijuana, they underestimated percentage of students in their child's grade who reported use of…

Assesses the effects of a sixth- and seventh-grade substance-abuse-prevention program in the twelfth-grade year. Questionnaires administered to students who had completed the two-year intervention and students with no intervention (N=262) showed that the effects evident in seventh grade had not been maintained through twelfth grade. (Author/MKA)

Ninety cannabis-dependent adults seeking treatment were randomly assigned to receive cognitive-behavioral therapy, abstinence-based voucher incentives, or their combination. Treatment duration was 14 weeks, and outcomes were assessed for 12 months post treatment. Findings suggest that (a) abstinence-based vouchers were effective for engendering…

This paper uses an integrated model of behavior change to predict intentions to use marijuana occasionally and regularly in a US-based national sample of male and female 12 to 18 year olds (n = 600). The model combines key constructs from the theory of reasoned action and social cognitive theory. The survey was conducted on laptop computers, and…

Using data from a probability sample of 4,987 adolescents, we examine the degree to which closeness to mother, closeness to father, parental support, and parental monitoring buffer the relationship between peer drug use and adolescent marijuana use. The relationship between peer drug use and adolescent marijuana use was attenuated by both…

Prior work indicates that substance use is related to adolescent marriage. We describe two different processes that may account for this relationship and hypothesize patterns of association that would be consistent or inconsistent with each. Using data from a study that followed west coast youth from 7th grade to young adulthood N3,324, we…

The high rates of substance use among American adolescents are challenging; however, runaway youth are at particularly high-risk for substance use. Runaway youth utilizing two service sectors, emergency crisis shelters and juvenile detention centers, were recruited to evaluate differences in risk factors associated with substance use. Findings…

A study comparing four models of substance misuse were performed. Alcohol drinking, tobacco use, sniffing of a dissolvent and cannabis use were proposed to depend on one, two, three, or four latent factors. In confirmatory factor analyses the fit of the models were tested against empirical data from a group of adolescent school pupils. The result…