Professional counselors and counselors-in-training continue to serve clients who have substance abuse issues, yet systematic training in substance abuse counseling is not available to many counselors. The authors investigated the extent to which students in programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational…

While self-help groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous are becoming more integrated into the professional substance abuse treatment network, many professionals are still hesitant to encourage clients to attend self-help groups after treatment. This study examined what factors predict the degree of cooperation between professional agencies and…

This issue of the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Program Interchange provides information about selected materials and publications related to adolescent substance abuse. Its intent is to facilitate the exchange of information between those concerned with substance abuse at the federal, state, and local levels, within both the public and private…

Nicotine, the most abused drug in the United States, is the psychoactive drug in tobacco. It exerts diverse, often subtle effects on the central nervous system and can stimulate or relax, or do both simultaneously. Tolerance to this drug develops easily and addiction is common among people with other drug problems, especially alcoholism. Most…

This paper provides an overview of addiction related to substance abuse. It provides basic information, prevalence, diagnostic criteria, assessment tools, and treatment issues for eating disorders, compulsive gambling, sex addictions, and work addictions. Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, especially affect adolescents.…

The purpose of this paper is to provide the beginning counselor with an overview of prevention concepts. Prevention is a relatively new emphasis in community efforts to stem the rising costs of substance abuse and other high-risk behaviors. The paper discusses agent, host, and environmental prevention models and how they relate to causal theories…

The Family Independence (FI) program transformed South Carolina's welfare program into a transitional assistance program emphasizing engagement in socially responsible behavior and participation in employment and employment-related activities. It helps families become economically independent through reform of: employment and training, welfare…

Although many parents are appropriately concerned about illicit drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and LSD, they often ignore the dangers posed to their children from common household products such as glues, nail polish remover, lighter fluid, spray paints, deodorant and hair sprays, canned whipped cream, and cleaning fluids. Many young people…

Compares potential for twelve psychosocial variables to act as change agents in substance use prevention programs. Students (grades 6-11) were surveyed during a two-year longitudinal study. A model of psychosocial influences was used to predict subsequent alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use. Structural equation modeling revealed the factor Drug…

Examines how institutions, which are part of the substance abuse treatment industry, address the connection between tobacco and other drugs in youth. Results suggest that the majority of treatment programs are routinely assessing tobacco use of the youth in their care, but only a small proportion follow through with tobacco cessation as an…

Uses the resilience perspective to examine the risk and protective mechanisms associated with adolescent substance use. Resilience is defined and resilience processes related to substance use are explored. Effective adolescent substance use prevention programs that promote youth resilience are reviewed. (Contains 120 references.) (GCP)

In a sample of 700 drug users, 64% evidenced comorbidity (i.e., coexisting substance use and psychiatric disorders). Robust relationships between the presence of comorbidity and increased levels of risk behavior, such as needle sharing and trading sex for money, were revealed. (Contains 44 references and 2 tables.) (Author)

Prospectively evaluated identification of alcohol abusers by family practice residents in 278 family medicine inpatients. Overall, residents correctly identified 38.8 percent of current or past alcohol abusers and 94.8 percent of nonalcoholics. Correct diagnosis was unrelated to demographic factors, alcohol-related admission diagnosis, or years of…

Notes that, to deal with problems of substance-exposed infants, California must develop and adopt concerted interagency policy outlining uniform criteria for local health care workers, social service agencies, and educators; consistent guidelines governing interagency exchange of information; and increased prevention and early intervention…

Considers prevalence and problems of infants exposed to drugs in utero, citing drug abuse as primary cause of infant morbidity and mortality. Notes current data indicating that occurrence of substance-exposed infants has been increasing over past few years, with corresponding rise in number of such children entering schools. Provides overview of…