Drug courts are designed to stop the abuse of alcohol and other drugs and the related criminal activity by offering individuals, whose criminal activity stems from substance abuse, the choice to participate in treatment. In exchange for successful completion of a treatment program, the court has the option of dismissing the original charge,…

Examines recidivism rates for 3,994 first-time, driving-while-intoxicated (DWI) offenders. Results indicate that convicted DWI offenders placed on probation had a 47% greater risk of a re-arrest for DWI than did individuals who completed a pretrial intervention (PTI) program. Discusses the utility of a PTI alternative. (RJM)

Using dramatic media presentations, explores issues surrounding the absence of negative consequences in alcohol consumption. Results based on 211 participants indicate that exposure to portrayals of alcohol drinking with negative consequences elicits the least favorable attitudes toward drinking. Exposure to the same presentation, without the…

Six alternately weighted algorithms for diagnosing alcohol dependency in accordance with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) based on statistical, unit, rational and random criterion weighting systems, were used to predict an array of concurrent validators and six-month drinking outcomes in a regional clinical…

Reports on the impact of a "drink driving education program" taught to tenth-grade students. The program, which involved twelve lessons, used strategies based on the Ajzen and Madden theory of planned behavior. Students (N=1,774) were trained to use alternatives to drinking and driving and to use safer passenger behaviors, and were…

Examined the relationships between individuals' intentions to drink and their actual alcohol consumption. Two studies revealed that male college students were able to match closely their intended level of intoxication and their actual degree of intoxication. Results suggest that behavioral intentions can be used to customize alcohol-related…

Investigated AOD (alcohol and other drug) use among social workers, examined its potential negative professional consequences and explored the denial that may facilitate AOD abuse. Results are reported from an anonymous survey of 751 NASW members in North Carolina. Research and practice implications for social workers, supervisors, and the…

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)

Summarizes research linking alcohol abuse to poor academic performance, decreased student retention, and problems for the campus community. It provides an overview of 3 theoretical perspectives on reducing problematic alcohol consumption, discusses brief interventions as the treatment of choice, and offers suggestions to college counselors for…

Investigation (1) examined interrelations among normative beliefs, alcohol expectancies, and alcohol-related problems, and (2) investigated whether alcohol-related expectancies mediate associations between normative beliefs and alcohol-related problems. Analyses revealed that alcohol expectancies mediate the relationship between normative beliefs…

Study examined administrators' perceptions of service adequacy, provision of services, and evaluation of services of publicly funded alcohol and other drug treatment systems in California. Administrators reported that systems adequately serve most populations; however some suggested that adolescents, elderly, and homeless were not as adequately…

Examined power of expectancies measured in early adolescents to predict self-reported drinking onset and drinking behavior measured one year later. Results showed that five of seven expectancy scores readily discriminated between nonproblem drinkers and those subsequently beginning problem drinkers and accounted for large portion of variance in…

Examined drinking behavior of fraternity and sorority members relative to behavior of non-Greek undergraduates. Findings from 500 undergraduates, 158 of whom had participated regularly in fraternity or sorority activities, revealed that fraternity and sorority members drank significantly more than their independent peers, and that their…

Prospective assessment of alcohol and drug abuse among middle school students involved students in 13 schools, with 7,562 students in grades six, seven, and eight completing baseline questionnaires. Data from the three grades revealed dramatic increases in the level of initiation of alcohol and drug abuse and negative consequences through the…

Surveyed 4,202 university students in Florida. Found that 14 percent had started drinking in elementary school, 34 percent in middle school, 45 percent in high school, and 7 percent in college. Time of onset significantly predicted quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption and incidence of alcohol-related problems reported by students in…