Smoking, drinking, and illicit drug use are leading causes of morbidity and mortality, both during adolescence as well as later in life. The determination of how well national and local policy and intervention efforts address teen substance use depends largely on the collection of valid and accurate data. Assessments of substance use rely heavily…

This study analyzed six waves of panel data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY). These analyses were conducted to test the stability of self-reported lifetime use and age of onset. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) indicated that the stability of age of onset reports decreased with longer time frames between follow-ups.…

This study examined teen marijuana report stability over 8 years. The stability of self-reports refers to the consistency of self-reported use across several years. This study used fives waves of data across 8 years from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Analyses were conducted to examine the internal or within-wave consistency as well as…

This study is the first to examine adolescent cigarette report stability over 10 years. Six waves of data were utilized from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. This study examined internal/logical consistency and external consistency. Report stability was higher for lifetime use reports than the age of onset reports. Wave-by-wave…

Analyses of study on adolescents in publicly funded treatment programs present sex and ethnic differences. Among some of the findings: females were more likely to report methamphetamine use, males reported marijuana use; Hispanics and African Americans were referred to treatment from criminal justice; reported marijuana as primary drug; mandated…

Paper presents public health model of alcohol intensity and attendant consequences. Analyses examined influence of agent (beverage of choice), host (individual characteristics), and environment (contexts of drinking) on indexes of alcohol intensity and alcohol-related consequences. Analyses suggest males, adolescents who begin drinking at a…

Public Health Model was used to examine relationships between smoking severity (never smokers, former smokers, continued smokers) and host and environmental variables. Results indicate former smokers are more like never smokers on most risk and protective variables. Final analyses indicated continued smokers are more likely to be Non-Black and…