Identifies common imagery created by psychiatric inpatients through the amusement park technique; demonstrates how the artwork serves to identify the psychodynamic concerns of the mentally ill substance abuser. Connections are examined relating patients choice of image, psychiatric diagnosis, and drug of choice. This technique offers promise for…

Analysis of 143 educator interviews and 40 student focus groups showed that educators in a school-based substance use and drug education program in California used a no-substance-use approach through fear messages. Survey responses of 5,045 secondary school students showed that students were not very greatly influenced. (SLD)

Presents the evaluation of written paragraphs which described 21 drug abuse prevention "themes" contained in 35 separate activities. Results indicate significant differences in youth preferences among activities, with a marked preference for the alternative and novel activity presentations. Females, Latinos, older students, and…

Summarizes recent research on the pattern of college student alcohol and other drug use. Gives a brief historical perspective as it pertains to recent legislative changes that have affected the prevention of substance abuse. Offers a review of students at particular risk of alcohol and other drug abuse. (Includes an index.) (RJM)

Recent data on 9th-12th grade methamphetamine use (both lifetime and last month prevalence) are summarized. Since 1992 methamphetamine use has increased. There were no significant differences in use noted across school year. Males are more likely to use than females, although female use has also increased. Implications for research, prevention,…

Analyzed one residential youth program's process of substance abuse treatment, identifying opportunities for collaboration with school health personnel. The treatment enhanced participants' belief in their ability to remain sober using peer support, development of self-control, and acquisition of treatment knowledge. Youth who developed these…

Tested multidimensional formulation of assertiveness and substance use in 3 metropolitan-area school samples (N=675, N=1,430, and N=5,545) of adolescents including White, Black, and Hispanic students aged 12-14 years. Found Substance-specific Assertiveness inversly associated with substance use and Social Dating Assertiveness positively associated…

Suggests ways that drug use/abuse might be associated with felony crime and discusses discrepancies of investigations into drug use/abuse and crime. Asserts that there is insufficient evidence to establish differential effects of specific substances that produce biochemical effects on acceleration of particular types of felony crime. (Author/PVV)

Discusses trend towards involving criminal offenders in substance abuse programs and utilizing outpatient settings in treatment. Appraises the treatment performance of both court-referred and voluntary clients and the impacts criminal-justice-referred clients may have upon other persons in treatment programs to which they are admitted. Discusses…

Study of the health behaviors and birth outcomes among 201 foreign-born and 616 U.S.-born women who received prenatal care at Boston City Hospital reveals that foreign-born women had better pre-pregnancy nutritional status and prenatal health behaviors, and their infants had greater birth weight. Limitations of this study are discussed. (Author)

A study of substance use and abuse habits and attitudes of pharmacy students in eight institutions found substances used, in descending order of frequency, were alcohol, marijuana, amphetamines, and then all other drugs. Except for tranquilizers and heroin, all substances were used less by pharmacy students than by other students. (Author/MSE)

Describes WCASA (Wilmington Cluster Against Substance Abuse) Families Matter! demonstration project designed to train low-income, urban, minority parents in family drug abuse prevention strategies. Discusses preliminary findings of project evaluation which show strong parent support for the project. (Author/CM)

An effective implementation program to achieve drug-free schools and communities meets the needs of students at various stages of drug use and abuse. Prevention, early intervention, and referral strategies are components of the five-phase research based comprehensive planning approach for K-12 students described in this article. (IAH)

This article contains three sections: (1) a literature review demonstrating that powerlessness is linked to disease and empowerment to health; (2) an exposition of Brazilian educator Paulo Freire's empowering education theory with a comparison to traditional health education; and (3) a case study of an empowering education substance abuse…

Investigates the potential of inoculation for promoting resistance to smoking onset among young adolescents. Provides data from a two-year study of efficacy of inoculation videos for promoting resistance to smoking. Suggests that, if resistance approaches are to have a chance of success, they must target young adolescents at the transition from…