Examines psychometric reliability of Drug Use Screening Inventory (DUSI) utilizing adolescents with DSM-III-R diagnosis of Psychoactive Substance Use Disorder. Concludes that split-half, internal, and test-retest reliability is superior. Suggests that DUSI may be useful for identifying and quantifying substance use and related problems. Includes…

Statistical study investigated the proportion of black male adolescents who are children of alcoholics (COAs) and the relationship between alcohol and conduct disorder. Researchers found a greater likelihood of alcohol abuse and greater chance of conduct disorder among COAs than among NonCOAs. (N=595) (EMK)

The overall purpose of this study was to explore the alcohol consumption patterns of adolescents by beverage type. A total of 705 primarily 9th grade students were recruited to participate in this study in the spring of 2002. Alcoholic beverage use differed significantly across gender and ethnicity on a number of beverage-specific drinking…

Explored the rate of alcohol and drug abuse among female and male adolescents (N=123) in public housing communities and examined risk factors leading to substance abuse. Results indicate no gender differences in alcohol or drug abuse. Poor academic performance was seen as a risk factor for alcohol abuse. (RJM)

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…

Study tested the hypothesis that the quality of the parent-adolescent relationship mediates the association between difficult temperament and alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms. Results suggest that alcohol abuse prevention and treatment programs should consider the role of basic temperamental characteristics in pathological drinking, and the…

A school district's Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) prevention programs are analyzed. A protocol is developed to collect data on school-based AOD prevention programs. (Author)

Tests validity of the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI) in detecting chemical dependency in adolescents (n=107), when compared to the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) results. Further validation for the SASSI was obtained. Treatment implications and suggestions for further research are provided. (SNR)

Using a classroom survey among 3061 secondary school students, focuses on the relationship between choice of different alcohol types and two indicators for regular drinking. Results indicate experience with western alcohol types to be associated with indicators for frequent drinking as well as experience with being drunk. Other findings are…

Reviews research on student assistance programs for early intervention in substance abuse and provides information from the evaluation of a multischool program in Washington state. Despite the widespread adoption of these programs, there is little substantiation of their effectiveness. Although participating students generally show improvements,…

Tests the hypothesis that poor perceived cognitive competence might signal an increased risk of alcohol-related problems in children (N=1,232). Results indicate that having depressive symptoms is associated with a higher risk of developing alcohol-related problems while perceived cognitive competence is not. Evidence suggests a possible…

Examines predictors of long-term smoking persistence for substance-abusing adolescents (N=125). Results indicate that the age of initial cigarette use and extent of smoking at the time of treatment predicts late adolescent/early adult smoking for males but not for females. Findings highlight importance of smoking intervention for adolescent…

A cross-sectional probability survey of Ontario students (N=3,870) in grades 7, 9, 11, and 13 examined the prevalence of alcohol and drug problems and the proportion of those with problems who receive treatment or report a need for treatment. Findings indicated serious problems resulting from alcohol or drugs. Discusses implications for preventing…

Describes and evaluates the effectiveness of an alcohol-prevention program. Results suggest that parents will read and use information mailed to them. Although parents and children talked more about alcohol-related topics, changes in other parenting behaviors and in student self-reported alcohol use were not observed. (RJM)

A multi-city study compared black and white adolescent substance abusers (N=487). Variables investigated included socioeconomic status (SES), welfare, types of family organization, and money spent on alcohol and drugs. Severity of abuse was less for blacks than for whites except for crack and heroin. (EMK)