Substance use in adolescence is a significant public health issue, particularly in early-to-mid adolescence, which represents a window of risk in the etiology of substance abuse and dependence. Substance use during this development period often results from affiliation with deviant peers, who model, facilitate, and reinforce use. Existing…

This paper describes the development and impact of an underage drinking reduction program designed and implemented by a South Carolina county sheriff's office with assistance from the county coalition. In December 2017, high school surveys identified family and friends as the alcohol source 82.2% of the time. In Summer 2018, sheriff deputies began…

Alcohol use among adolescents is a concern in the Netherlands because of its high prevalence and risks. To discourage adolescents from drinking alcohol, a televised entertainment-education (E-E) intervention was developed. This study investigated responses of adolescents on perceived realism and enjoyment of the E-E intervention, as well as its…

The use of alcohol by adolescents is a growing problem. Adolescents drinking and driving continues to be of great concern to society, as adolescent death from drinking and driving is not only untimely and unwarranted, but also preventable. Consequently, the need to find an intervention that speaks directly to adolescents about the negative effects…

This article examined the impact of linguistic acculturation and gender on the substance use initiation of a sample of 1,473 Mexican heritage preadolescents attending 30 public schools in Phoenix, Arizona. It was hypothesized that linguistic acculturation operates differently as a risk or protective factor for young children than for older youth.…

Theater has been used as an educational tool since the Great Depression era, and it is currently considered an effective tool for health promotion and reducing risk-taking behaviors among youth. Theater projects are well suited for communicating prevention messages to youth audiences because they can depict real-life settings and characters who…

Objectives: By participating in this Stop the Tears teaching strategy, students will be able to: (1) analyze how alcohol and drug abuse could affect their lives as well as the lives of their friends and family and, (2) create a media message, such as a poster, pamphlet, poem, or song, in which alcohol and drug prevention is advocated specific to…

Social norms interventions are a common approach to addressing the problem of college student drinking. An increasingly popular but not yet well-validated social-norms-based intervention consists of providing normative feedback to students in small groups. Objective, Participants, and Methods: In this study, the authors used a randomized design to…

The purpose of this study is to compare the drinking and associated behavior of fraternity and sorority members to that of nonmembers. The project is national in scope, and its results can help determine whether public perceptions of alcohol use by students affiliated with Greek social organizations are warranted. This study will also lend some…

Social norms-based interventions targeting college student drinking behaviors have become increasingly popular. Such interventions purportedly modify student misperceptions of fellow student drinking behaviors, which leads to changes in individual drinking behavior. Despite claims of successful interventions, research demonstrating that social…

This paper outlines early findings from the Tasmanian-based Social Norms Analysis Project (SNAP). The Social Norms model is presented as a theoretically informed, evidence-based model for reducing alcohol-related harm in youthful populations by utilising the complex and often positive contributions peer groups make to adolescent health and…

Examines the effects of a Peer Norms Correction (PNC) procedure on college students' perceptions of campus drinking and their actual drinking behavior. Results suggest that PNC may be useful in correcting misperceptions about the norms for alcohol use but not for decreasing heavy drinking among college students. (Contains 28 references and 2…

Suggests that the apparent lack of effectiveness of alcohol and drug education programs may stem from the lack of a sound theoretical basis for program development and evaluaton. Reviews (1) the relevance of socialization theory to adolescent drinking and (2) the influence of parents and peers. (JAC)

A conceptual and practical plan is outlined for campus alcohol abuse prevention programs. Barriers to program success are identified, and a prevention strategy is presented that focuses on methods to: (1) define alcohol-related problems, (2) negotiate a prevention contract, and (3) develop a peer problem-solving approach to alcohol education.…

This multivariate panel study examines longer-term effects of a prevention program on trajectories of alcohol misuse and related risk factors. Analyses showed susceptibility, exposure, and alcohol misuse increased mostly linearly across adolescence and covaried positively within and across time, arguing that they exist in a mutually reinforcing…