A small portion of Americans account for a disproportionate amount of the incidences of sexually transmitted infection observed over a short period of time. Studies with adults have begun to characterize this population, yet there is very little data on adolescent sexually transmitted infection repeaters (STIR). This study explores characteristics…

Objective: To examine substance-related attitudes and behaviours among college students across an academic semester. Design: Pre-post quasi-experimental survey design. Setting: A large University in the Midwestern United States. Method: Surveys were completed by 299 undergraduates enrolled in three courses: drugs and behaviour, abnormal…

For the four leading causes of death in the United States (heart disease, cancer, stroke and chronic respiratory disease), tobacco use is a common risk factor. Tobacco use is responsible for almost 450,000 deaths per year and impacts the health of every member of our society. Tobacco is a gateway drug for substance abuse. That role is critical to…

Schools have been identified as one of the appropriate settings for addiction prevention since this is the place where pupils may come into contact with drugs for the first time and experiment with them, with the possibility of becoming addicted. To be effective, school-based drug education must be firmly based on knowledge of oneself and…

Purpose: A literature review was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of external contributors (anyone other than a teacher at the school) in delivering school-based drug, alcohol and tobacco education (substance use education) programmes. Design/methodology/approach: The review focused upon literature published from 1990 onwards in English.…

The purpose of Teaching Respect for Every Culture (TREC) was to ensure that racial/ethnic, gender, disability, and other circumstances did not bar student access to alcohol/drug education, prevention, and intervention services. This report describes the implementation and evaluation of the TREC Project. Five objectives of TREC were to: (1)…

The Drug-Free Schools and Communities (DFSC) Act of 1986 provides funding to school districts to supplement efforts to eliminate drug and alcohol use by students. In 1993-94 the Austin Independent School District (AISD) received $466,151 from the DFSC grant. Three types of program components were funded--student programs, programs for curriculum…

Alcohol, tobacco, and drug use prevention is a goal shared by many. Prevention strategies aim to both reduce specific problems resulting from substance abuse and promote healthy development. Past efforts at prevention have included a variety of approaches: (1) prohibition; (2) scare tactics; (3) presenting factual information; (4) affective…

The biological mechanisms of nicotine dependence are described, the prevalence of tobacco dependency among those using other mood-altering drugs is examined, and the most efficacious way to address this dependency is discussed. New data on the relationship of smoking addiction to other addictions are examined. Topics include: (1) "Tobacco…

Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) was designed to prevent students' use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs by using trained, uniformed police officers in the classroom. This report examines the effectiveness of DARE in drug use prevention and how this program compares to other prevention programs. The report is organized into four sections…

An update of an earlier publication, "Software for Substance Abuse Education," this guide provides critical reviews of available technology products designed to instruct students, teachers, or parents about alcohol and other drugs. The products included are computer software, interactive videodiscs (level III), non-interactive videodiscs…

This report explores the impact of alcohol and drug problems on the children and families served by the child welfare system and outlines a comprehensive strategy to better respond to their needs. It contains more than 100 policy and action recommendations to enhance services to children and families affected by alcohol and other drugs (AOD), to…

This report summarizes two joint sessions held by the Indian Nations At Risk Task Force and the National Advisory Council on Indian Education to hear testimony on health and substance abuse prevention issues relevant to Native American children. Issues and problems fell into the following areas: (1) general health and wellness, including the need…

Join Together convened a panel of experts to review U.S. policies for addiction treatment and recovery. Although the panel reached an agreement on six recommendations for policy changes that can make help more accessible and expand treatment to more people. These recommendations are: (1) treatment for alcoholism and other drug addiction must be…

This report describes the results of the 1993 Utah Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and summarizes results of the 1992 Utah School Health Education Survey. Many health problems experienced by youth are caused by a few preventable behaviors, such as alcohol abuse and unprotected sexual intercourse. Tobacco use, dietary patterns that cause disease,…