Interviews with two college presidents from Rhode Island and West Virginia discuss whether alcohol can coexist with learning on campus. To make room for a culture of learning, campus administrators state that the alcohol problems must be addressed. Initiatives such as Fraternity Alcohol Policy, Up All Night, and Mountaineer Parents Club are…

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)

Studied the relationship of alcohol expectancies to college drinking domains in 315 college students. Results demonstrate the concurrent validity of the College Alcohol Problem Scale with three subscales of the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire and the Drinking Context Scale. Implications for prevention and early intervention are noted. (EMK)

Women (N=3,213) were interviewed initially, and again a year later, concerning childhood rape history, lifetime symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and lifetime alcohol use. Analysis found a history of childhood rape doubled the number of alcohol-abuse symptoms that women experienced in adulthood, suggesting that PTSD symptomatology…

Recounts the author's own experience writing about deeply painful experiences in her own life, and the gift of healing this journey offered. Argues that such writing takes a special kind of courage, and that these books (a volume of poetry about sexual abuse, and the other a novel about a troubled family) hold out a promise of hope and healing.…

Explores gender differences in the etiology and consequences of alcohol abuse among older adolescents. No significant differences were found in the etiology of alcohol abuse; however, men were more likely to have neglected duties, while women were more likely to have experienced blackouts and to have lost friends as a result of drinking.…

Four-hundred three randomly selected college students were interviewed using a modified version of the Core Survey to assess alcohol consumption and its related problems. Path analysis supported the viability of two models. When controlling for individual characteristics, perceptions of peer drinking predicted alcohol use, which predicted alcohol…

To address the persistent challenge of Greek alcohol abuse, campus administrators must work with Greek letter organizations to establish effective alcohol policies and programs that promote alcohol awareness and responsible use. Provides examples of programs already in place. (MKA)

Assessed kindergartners' knowledge of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATODs), examining the congruence between parent ATOD use and children's knowledge. Data collected prior to an ATOD prevention trial for kindergartners and parents indicated that most students recognized cigarettes, half recognized alcoholic beverages, and 17 percent…

Examines the relationship of prevalence and frequency of binge drinking with alcohol-related problems, social contexts of drinking, and personality characteristics among 334 first-year students. Binge drinking rates among freshmen were higher than national averages and frequency of binge drinking was associated with more alcohol-related problems.…

Describes the traditions and philosophy behind successful substance abuse treatment strategies used by Aboriginal people in Canada. Discusses how substance abuse treatment strategies which facilitate reconnection to cultural values and traditions enables Aboriginal clients to discover meaning in their lives and promote healing. (Author/GCP)

Describes the evaluation of the Fighting Back initiative, in which communities across the country receive funding to combat alcohol and drug use. The evaluation has been designed to be responsive to national policy agendas and local community contextual differences so that it yields important insights at both levels. (Author/SLD)

Investigated alcohol and drug use by African-American female college basketball players. Surveys indicated that three-quarters of the women consumed alcohol. Nearly half had engaged in binge drinking. Very few reported using weight-loss or tobacco products. There were no reports of amphetamine or anabolic steroid use. Respondents appeared aware of…

Examined differences between the visibility of drugs and drug use in over 2000 neighborhoods, surveying residents regarding drug- and alcohol-related behaviors and attitudes and comparing the responses of poor, urban, African Americans versus people from comparison neighborhoods. The most disadvantaged neighborhoods had the most visible drug…

The Lifestyle Management Class (LMC) was evaluated as a universal and targeted alcohol prevention program among voluntary and mandated college students. The relative efficacy of peer- and professional-led group interventions was also tested in this randomized, controlled design. LMC participants showed decreases in driving after drinking relative…