Provides an overview of the Start SMART smoking cessation program which combines nicotine withdrawal therapy with behavior modification. The Start SMART program provides seven, intensive one-hour group sessions that are shown to be a most effective intervention with a specific population--motivated, yet highly dependent smokers. (GLR)

Latino youths completed surveys about their knowledge of risk factors for oral cancer and tobacco and alcohol use. Additionally, trained youths attempted to purchase cigarettes from local stores. Respondents were ill-informed about oral cancer. Over half knew risk factors for smoking and alcohol use. Over half of the stores would have sold…

Several competing dynamic models were applied to adolescent substance abuse using a cohort of 3,580 participants in a longitudinal study beginning in grade five. Evidence was found for an intrinsic self-regulating mechanism in adolescent smoking and drinking. Support for a dampened linear oscillator model is discussed. (SLD)

Russian adolescents (N=159) were surveyed at a school near Moscow. Purposes were (1) to explore the relationship of Russian family environment with adolescent substance use and depression; (2) to use cross-national research methods for replicating U.S. studies. Many findings were similar, but others may be unique to Russian youth. (Author/EMK)

An investigation of smoking polices and smoking practices of residents and employees in 106 Massachusetts state-supported residential programs found that state-operated programs prohibited employees from smoking in residences and restricted residents who smoked to designated areas. One-third of vendor-operated agencies allowed residents and staff…

A brief screening instrument used on adolescents (N=176) identified significantly more alcohol, tobacco and other drug users than primary-care physicians normally identify. Twenty-five percent of abusers were interested in receiving help. Authors argue for routinely including substance-abuse screening as a component of primary-care health…

Examines the relationship between adolescent self-esteem and smoking among a large cohort (n=3,567) of adolescents between the 6th and 10th grades. Findings suggest that self-esteem may be a factor in the smoking behavior of female adolescents in grades six through eight, but not for males in any grade. This suggests that females may have…

In 1980-83, a study assessed adolescent girls' smoking, their peers' smoking, and their parents' smoking and beliefs and strictness regarding smoking. Similar assessments were made in 1995 for these girls, now mothers, and their children. Found that general and smoking-related parenting practices, as well as peer smoking, were related to…

Examined 1979-97 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse data to investigate the probabilities of progression through a sequence of stages of substance use. Progression to marijuana and hard drugs was uncommon in people born before World War II. The stages phenomenon emerged with the baby boom and peaked among people born around 1960.…

Explored the relationship between severity of sanction imposed for tobacco policy violation and dropout rates in South Carolina public high schools. Surveys of school principals assessed policies and sanctions. Data were tested for an association between event dropout rate and sanction severity. Results suggest that severe sanctions imposed for…

Examined the everyday lives of adolescents with low, middle, or high levels of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as assessed by either parent or teen. Found that adolescents with high ADHD levels recorded more negative moods, lower alertness, more entertaining activities relative to achievement-oriented pursuits, more time with…

An Institute of Medicine committee examined the links between biological, psychosocial, and behavioral factors and health; reviewed effective applications of behavioral interventions (individual behavior, families, organizations, communities, and society); and discussed the production and maintenance of behavior change. The paper presents a…

Conducted focus groups with daily smokers to identify key themes and strategies that would be effective in influencing attitudinal and behavioral change in homes that allowed smoking to occur. Smokers preferred messages that addressed the health of children, respected smokers, were based on research, provided information and assistance on…

Previous research shows that the health behavior of immigrants is favorable to that of native-born adults in the United States. We utilize pooled data from the 1998-2001 National Health Interview Surveys and multinomial logistic regression techniques to build on this literature and examine the association between acculturation and immigrant…

Individuals with schizophrenia have a much higher prevalence of tobacco smoking, a lower cessation rate, and a higher incidence of tobacco-related diseases than the general population. The initial challenge has been to motivate these individuals to quit smoking. This study tested whether motivational interviewing is effective in motivating smokers…