Recent studies have demonstrated an alcohol/drug problem in rural areas of the United States and important differences between rural and urban drug users. This study examined the extent to which drug abuse is perceived as a problem in rural and urban secondary schools, whether school counselors are in need of more drug abuse prevention and…

A project was initiated at one private, liberal arts college to respond to the substance use/abuse issues on campus. As a first step in designing the project, a study was conducted to assess the nature and extent of alcohol consumption and drug use by the students. Students (N=247) completed a 10-page questionnaire addressing topics such as…

The fact sheet provides basic information about how alcohol and drug use during pregnancy can lead to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and Alcohol Related Birth Defects (ARBD), resulting in such problems as mental retardation, sleep disturbances, learning disabilities, muscle problems, heart defects, and small head size. The question and answer format…

This manual offers school personnel a guide for setting up support groups, particularly chemical abuse support groups. It describes how to integrate the groups into the regular school program and help students who want and need support, thereby creating a safe school environment in which drug free students and schools are possible. These topics…

Substance use by American young people remains a major concern for the nation. Smoking, drinking, and illicit drug use are leading causes of morbidity and mortality, both during adolescence and across the life course. How vigorously the nation responds to teenage substance use, how accurately it identifies the substance abuse problems that are…

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) includes questions to assess serious psychological distress (SPD) and substance use. SPD is an overall indicator of nonspecific psychological distress. This report examines serious psychological distress and substance use among young adult males aged 18 to 25, a relatively understudied group with…

This study attempted to determine alcohol and drug use rates of students at a college located in a city with a predominant religion that promotes abstinence, and to determine what prevention strategies might be implemented to help students with drug or alcohol problems. In the fall of 1997, 612 students and 119 faculty responded to survey…

At the request of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Research and Education Foundation of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy organized a series of 12 panels that focused on family issues in adolescent treatment. In these workshops, panelists discussed the importance of involving the…

Media advocacy is an environmental strategy that can be used to support alcohol and other drug prevention and policy development efforts. It helps shift the focus from understanding public health issues as individual problems to understanding them as social conditions that require collective behavior changes. Successful media advocacy uses the…

Explores young people's alcohol consumption with respect to their families' social position and patterns of support and control by parents. Longitudinal analysis of over 600 participants indicate that family structure influenced young persons' alcohol use, but drinking behavior was unrelated to the families' socioeconomic circumstances. Other…

Used latent growth curve modeling to examine adolescent alcohol expectancies as mediators of effects of parent alcoholism on escalation in adolescent heavy drinking. Found that parent alcoholism directly affected adolescent heavy drinking. Alcohol expectancies did not mediate parent alcoholism effects. Cross-sectional evidence suggested that…

Examined effects of work intensity on 1,000 employed adolescents. Found that students who worked at higher intensity engaged in more alcohol use. Negative effects on mental health, academic achievement, and 2 other indicators of behavioral adjustment were not found, but seniors working at moderate intensity (fewer than 20 hours per week) had…

The effects of anticonvulsant medication or alcohol use during pregnancy on the development of children are examined. Malformations of children whose mothers used anticonvulsant medications or alcohol while pregnant are illustrated. Prevention of the use of alcohol and anticonvulsant medication by pregnant women is discussed. (CR)

This review examined school-based drug abuse prevention programs for 1989-94. From a literature review and interviews with a panel of experts in prevention research, 11 key components of effective prevention curricula were identified. These components are listed and discussed briefly. Dissemination of effective prevention programs is discussed.…

Surveyed over 900 students in the rural northwest in grades 4, 6, 8, and 10 for alcohol and drug use. Measures self-reported usage of seventeen substances. The descriptive statistical results are reported by gender as well as grade-level usage rates. Discussion includes targeting drug prevention programs for specific grade and gender levels based…