In this article we examine the importance of sensation seeking and pragmatism in the steroids and sports supplements behavior and attitudes of high school and junior high school students on Long Island, New York. Steroid use is much less acceptable than sports supplement use, although the reasons for use are similar. Respondents use supplements…

This study explored beverage-specific alcohol consumption patterns among a sample of high school students over a two-year period. Four hundred fifty-five students completed the validated questionnaire at all three time points (2002, 2003, 2004). Variables of interest included five use measures (past year use, 30-day frequency, quantity, heavy use,…

Conducted longitudinal study of 232 high school students and found that earlier psychopathology predicted, to a statistically significant degree, substance use 17 months later, and that earlier substance use predicted later psychopathology. Among nine types of psychic symptoms measured, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, hostility, paranoid ideation,…

Examined the effects of refining a high school-based, indicated drug prevention program which integrates social support and life-skills training. Process evaluation of the program revealed the need for program enhancements to address underestimated levels of depression, anger, and suicidal behaviors and to ensure that core content was consistently…

Explores the interplay of various factors that may jointly predict the frequency of drug use and the intention for further use. Drug-use prevalence data for 969 adolescents, high school students, and imprisoned offenders linked drug-use frequencies with psychosocial variables such as disinhibition, peer drug use, peer pressure, and other factors.…

Examined drug use, delinquency, and lifestyle correlates of "Loners" and "Socials" to study influence of peers on delinquency and drug use. Analyzed data from Monitoring the Future (1976-84) survey of high school seniors across United States. Lack of peer influence on "Loners" seemed to contribute to less delinquency…

Reanalyzed data by Oetting and Beauvais which evaluated peer drug association effects on adolescent drug use in survey of 415 high school students. Found support for alternative model in which poorer school adjustment was consequence of drug use, peer drug associations, lack of family sanctions against drug use, low religious identification, and…

Studied 617 high school and college students prior to and after substance abuse instruction to determine relationship between perceptions and demographic characteristics, and to learn whether substance abuse instruction was related to changes in student's perception of relationships. Findings from Marihuana Perception Inventory showed five factors…

Showed videotapes designed to affect personal level judgments of concern and risk in context of smokeless tobacco use to 388 tenth graders, manipulating either message convincingness or perceived probability of consequences portrayed in message. Results suggest that media manipulation of probability of consequences would be more effective than…

Identified characteristics of adolescent male anabolic steroid (AS) user and addictive potential. Found AS user population different from nonuser in self-perceptions of health and strength, interest in controlling AS use, and perception of peer AS use. Found subgroups with significantly different attitudes and/or behaviors. Suggests prevention…

Compared adolescent cigarette smoking rates determined by traditional questionnaire, random response questionnaire, and carbon monoxide test. Results from 1,160 ninth graders in 40 classrooms in 7 schools indicated that random response questionnaire elicited statistically larger proportion of smokers than did traditional questionnaire. Neither…

Examined stability of adolescent drug use into young adulthood and explored influence of personality on adolescent and adult drug use. Participants (n=640) in longitudinal study completed questionnaires assessing tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, and hard drug use. General drug use factor in adolescence significantly predicted young adult drug use.…

Explored whether drinking among high school students (n=499) was related more to factors "unchangeable" versus "changeable" by school-based intervention. Found that drinking varied with different types of "unchangeable" and "changeable" factors for male and female students. Levels of drinking among males…

Nonclinical, adolescent children of alcoholics and their peers from nonalcoholic families (total n=231) responded to questionnaires of environmental variables, depression, and anxiety. Although two groups differed on measures of anxiety and depression, environmental stressors contributed most to discriminant function that differentiated between…

Examined adolescents' preferences for pleasure: drugs or recreation. Data from 200 high school students revealed 4 statistically significant associations in motives or pleasures sought in recreation and in drug behaviors: enhancement of personality, provision of means for self-discovery, achievement of personal goals, and means to rebel against…