Examines how social workers may reduce ethical conflicts associated with efforts to address substance abuse by adopting a harm reduction approach to policy, practice, and research. Also examines current drug policies and their consequences and, in particular, how these policies affect social workers as practitioners, agents of social control, and…

Relates how a Native American single mother and former drug user turned her life around and went to college to become a substance abuse therapist. During therapy groups with other Native Americans, she promotes healing by stressing the importance of family, parenting, self-esteem, and relationships, as opposed to focusing on the participant's…

Reviews and synthesizes recent literature on social problems in the lives of adolescents, including depression, suicide, substance abuse, sexual activity, sexually transmitted diseases, rape, sexual preference, and school dropout. Explores key factors in effective intervention and prevention programs for students with and without learning…

A meta-analysis of school-based substance abuse prevention studies revealed that the mean proportion of subjects retained dropped from 81.4 percent at the three-month followup to 67.5 percent at the three-year followup. Researchers should interpret their results in light of these normative data and adopt second-effort strategies to reduce…

Examines development and implementation of School Drug Policy in Ontario Boards of Education, components of these policies, and composition of policy development committees. Data from 125 Boards of Education were obtained for fall 1991. Results indicate that development and implementation of school drug policy, by not often including students,…

Offers a profile of drug use and attitudes among junior high school-aged youth (n=1,004) from 3 types of midwestern communities. Describes experience with and attitudes toward drug use for this population as a whole, as well as variations between and among groups by gender, age, grade level, ethnicity, and community size. (JPS)

A cohort of 29 students in a small rural New Mexico school completed a self-report measure of behavioral intention toward alcohol and drug use in 7th and 11th grades. During the four years between measures, students received intensive education about resisting pro-drug-use pressures. Students reported significantly better behavioral intention…

Examined risk factors leading to adolescent substance abuse so as to provide greater understanding of their influence. Divided risk factors into four categories: demographic, social, behavioral, and individual. Separated each category into its respective components, including ages of susceptibility and gender differences. Offers information on…

The intensity of youth at-risk for substance abuse, academic delinquency, and death has led to nationwide searches for solutions. The paper examines 1980's research, highlighting the importance of professional collaboration to handle the problems. After examining research from related fields, the paper discusses evaluation of programs for at-risk…

This annotated bibliography lists 101 U.S. federal depository documents received by libraries from mid-1991 to mid-1992 that address a wide range of topics, including education, dissemination of government information, health care, substance abuse, the environment, technology, and the military. (MES)

Presents strategies to prevent substance abuse among young African-American males, using family and cultural storytelling techniques. A theoretical framework is included, and the techniques are illustrated in an ethnographic study of 20 African-American males (ages 13 to 18 years). The techniques seem generalizable beyond prevention to treatment.…

Analysis of data on 1,121 older adolescents and young adults from a national longitudinal survey examined effects of community involvement, social satisfaction, social network size, race, gender, and age on use of alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine. Social support did influence use of alcohol and other drugs, but the direction of influence varied by…

This article reports on a survey of 115 schools of education and training for health professionals, inquiring into the recognition of substance abuse and substance abuse in pregnancy as a curriculum concern. Although most schools reported that substance abuse falls within their curricula, some respondents requested continuing education on the…

The Core Alcohol and Drug Survey helps universities obtain accurate information about the effectiveness of their substance abuse prevention efforts. The self-report tool examines the nature, scope, and consequences of college students' substance use. Currently, 500,000 students on 800 campuses have completed the survey. The article presents…

Conducted four focus group interviews with parents of high school students. Results indicated low levels of awareness of extent of teenage drinking; low levels of parental control over teenage drinking; feelings of detachment from other parents; considerable receptivity to receiving training in substance abuse issues; and feelings of resistance to…