Drug abuse, or substance abuse, is a substantial public health problem in the United States, particularly among high school students. The purpose of this article was to review school-based programs implemented in high schools for substance abuse prevention and to suggest recommendations for future interventions. Included were English language…

This case study examines not only the prevalence of substance abuse in one rural, Canadian high school, but also how teachers understand teaching and learning in relation to substance abuse. Over one third of students reported that they had used marijuana (37%) and alcohol (38%) in the last seven days, a rate considerably higher than typical…

Background: Alcohol, tobacco, marijuana use, and sexual behaviors are consistently reported by high school students in the United States and can contribute to reduced quality of life. Empirical research finds that many assets may act as a protective factor for adolescent risk behaviors. As such, the purpose of this study was to examine the…

Adolescence and emerging adulthood are critical windows for establishing life-long behaviors. We assessed long-term outcomes of a prospective randomized harm reduction/health promotion program for female high school athletes. The intervention's immediate beneficial effects on diet pill use and unhealthy eating behaviors have been reported;…

This study explored factors that may predict condom use among college and high school students in Zambia. Using the Social Cognitive Theory, this study examined the relationship of drinking behaviors, alcohol-sexual expectations, education level, and religion to condom use among 961 students. The results of the study show that condom use was low…

Social capital theory suggests that assets inherent in social relations may be used to enhance outcomes for individuals and that youth with increased access to social capital may be less likely to exhibit social and behavioral difficulties. The purpose of this secondary data analysis was to examine the relationship between social capital and…

Pregnant women and women who might become pregnant, including middle school- and high school-age adolescents, continue to consume alcohol, placing themselves at risk of having a child with the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. However, most prevention programs that attempt to increase public awareness and knowledge of FAS and related disorders…

The purpose of this study was to provide a descriptive profile of the alcohol, cigarette, marijuana and cocaine use practices among adolescents and to examine the relationship between employment, political beliefs, religious beliefs and substance use behaviors among high school seniors participating in the Monitoring the Future Study during the…

Describes and tests the Stay Alive from Education (SAFE) program, a one-hour behavior modification program that informs students of the dangers associated with driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol and not wearing seat belts. Quantitative data seem to suggest that students may change their driving behaviors due to the influence of…

Examines in-season and off-season use of alcohol by high school athletes. Changes in the odds of use were determined for gender, grade level, race, school classification, and geographic region. Results show that the odds of high school athletes using alcohol were less, both in- and off-season, in 1996 than in 1988. (MKA)

Measures religious proscriptiveness through three types of faith groups-proscriptive, moderate, and nonproscriptive. Reports that a significant difference of religious proscriptiveness was found on alcohol use of high school students. Unlike previous findings, the impact of religious proscriptiveness was not significant on binge drinking. Using…

Tests adolescents' perception of characters' ages in four television beer advertisements and examines correlational relationships between such age judgments and alcohol use. Some 39.4% of participants reported that the youngest character was under 21. Perceptions were positively related to amount of alcohol use among junior high school students,…

Investigated the tendency of 150 ninth-grade students to comply with peers in various risky alcohol and driving situations. Experimental groups received a one-week preventive alcohol education program. Results showed experimental groups reporting significantly lower levels of compliance toward the risky situations. (Author/JAC)

Examined failure to graduate from high school as a function of grade point average and substance abuse among Phildelphia high school students (N=427). Results of multiple regression analyses indicated that the gradepoint averages are more powerful predictors to eventual failure to graduate than are "Drug Severity Index" scores. (BL)

Longitudinal study of Israeli adolescents' (N=1,900) substance use found that use increased as a function of positive attitudes toward substances, use, and users; positive attitudes ascribed to peers and parents; peers' and parents' use of alcohol and drugs; personality variables; and availability of drugs at home and in the community. Describes…