Adolescents exhibit a high rate of use of alcohol and illicit drugs. Effect studies rarely describe the actual content of the interventions in detail. Less is known about what was actually done in the prevention than about their effects.Aim: This study is a review study grouping the qualitatively different content components of the various…

Despite the fact that alcohol use by adolescents is publicly discouraged, alcohol plays an important role as a mediator of relationships between adolescents, and in the process of their becoming adults. Here I introduce the concept of situational abstinence -- refusing alcohol in certain situations while consuming it in others -- which offers a…

Public debate on the consumption of alcohol by adolescents has grown over recent years. It has intensified in Spain after epidemiological reports of a significant increase in alcohol consumption among adolescent girls. We designed this study to gain insights into this new trend from a gender perspective. The objective was to understand the…

Aims: In this study we look at (1) changes in parenting practices related to adolescents' alcohol use in Finland from 2006 to 2012 and (2) whether parents' own drinking behaviour is related to the parenting practices. Methods: Two surveys of parents with children were conducted in 2006 (n = 2864) and 2012 (n = 2965). The data were analysed using…

Aims: The first aim was to explore whether university students possess the information, motivation and behavioural skills required to adhere to government guidelines for alcohol consumption expressed in "units" of alcohol. The second aim was to identify correlates of greater motivation to adhere to guidelines and greater capacity to…

There has been a considerable drive to encourage a wide range of professional groups to incorporate alcohol screening (or identification) and brief advice (IBA) into their everyday practice. This article aims to examine the role of training in promoting IBA delivery in contexts outside primary care and other health settings. The data are drawn…

From its foundation in 1847, the temperance organisation the Band of Hope addressed its young members as consumers, victims and agents. In the first two roles, they encountered the effects of drink of necessity, but in the third role, they were encouraged to seek it out, attempting to influence individuals and wider society against "Giant…

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the three articles included in a special focus of "Drugs: Education, Prevention, and Policy" that address environmental change strategies targeting drug abuse prevention. We define environmental change strategies and their effectiveness in public health domains such as alcohol abuse, smoking, and…

Aims: Developing and evaluating an email-based intervention (EBI) to enhance alcohol-related parenting skills and reduce alcohol consumption among adolescents. Methods: Over four weeks, participating parents received a weekly email containing scientific findings, practical advice and exercises in relation to such topics as alcohol-related…

Background: Negative attitudes towards substance use and Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) are among the commonly cited barriers to screening and treating these disorders by physicians. These negative attitudes have also been reported in medical students. The aim of this study was to examine attitudes of medical students in Israel towards nicotine,…

Aim: To ascertain young adults' experience of alcohol-related collateral harm (ARC harm). Methods: An online survey collected quantitative and qualitative data from a convenience sample of students (N = 450) aged 16-24 in Southern England. Questions and analyses focused on harms they had experienced as a result of alcohol consumption by other…

Aim: This study aimed to explore constructs in the prototype willingness model (PWM) to establish if it provides a basis for understanding and preventing alcohol misuse in teenagers in the UK. Methods: Four focus groups were carried out with 11-13 and 16-17 year olds. There were 13 males and 14 females. Transcripts of the focus groups were…

This article considers alcohol policy development in England and Wales under the coalition government after 2010. With a particular focus on minimum unit pricing, it examines why policy departures based on supply-side controls drawn from public health models were abandoned in favour of a restoration of policy equilibrium. This article adopts a…

Aims: This study examined the relationship between subjective life expectancy (the subjective probability of living to age 75 years) and sex, type of school attended, year in school and self-reported adolescent drinking behaviours. Design: The study employed a cross-sectional design. Methods: Participants were school children (aged 11-16 years)…

Aims: To explore how service users' views of measuring addiction recovery differ from those of service providers. Methods: Five focus groups conducted in two English cities with (i) people currently using Class A drugs (n = 6); (ii) people currently using alcohol (n = 12); (iii) individuals in residential detoxification (n = 12); (iv) individuals…