Interviews with a nationwide sample of young and low-income Black, Chicano, and Caribbean men and women, as well as their nonminority counterparts, reveal that the large majority disapprove of illicit drug phenomena. Although 50 percent of the youth report having had illicit drug experiences, 66 percent of these currently disapprove of illicit…

Study results indicated that the users were primarily males who were somewhat estranged from such significant primary groups as the home, the church, and the community. More black males than white males used drugs; the converse was the case among females. (Author)

Assesses the importance of age in determining the use of conventional and illicit drugs among secondary school students in Texas. Age-drug use relationships were examined in terms of sex, age, and residence of respondents. Rural students' use of deviant drugs exceeded that of urban students. Conventional drug use increases with age. (Author/BEF)

Examined variations in the comparative strength of predictors of self-reported drug use. Findings indicate that Whites, both male and female, had a significantly stronger positive association between predictors and drug use relative to Blacks. Regarding gender, White females were most likely to use gateway substances, followed by White males. (RJM)

Medical students (N=341) completed questionnaire on drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, and involvement in sensation-seeking sports and activities. Results indicated minimal tobacco use, moderately low drug use, and extensive alcohol use. Increased alcohol use was strongly correlated with heavy drinking patterns in parents and male students while…

Evaluates the reading abilities of 122 male and 59 female drug users as assessed through the reading subtest of the Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised and the short form of the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test-Revised. Men and Blacks reported the highest level of education completed, but the tests revealed no differences across gender and ethnicity…

Explored relationship among drug use, school performance, and academic aspiration among Anglo and Hispanic youths (n=446). Results indicated a significant relationship between current school performance, future educational aspirations, and drug use. Important differences in response patterns occurring with age, ethnicity, and gender were found.…

Examines drug and alcohol abuse, alone and in combination, among older people (N=100) using case records, interviews, and a questionnaire. Results showed 29 percent used other drugs in conjunction with alcohol, particularly among Blacks. Most respondents began to drink heavily between age 55 and 64. (JAC)

Aggregate data on drug use may be misleading relative to the magnitude of the problem among specific segments of the population. This paper analyzes several false but commonly held beliefs about drug use in the African American community reflected in the literature and explores the implications of such beliefs for treatment, intervention, and…

Students in grades 6 through 12 from 12 rural school districts responded to a questionnaire measuring attitudes toward and use of drugs or alcohol. Results show that attitudes became more liberal as grade level increased, that males tend to be more prone to use illicit drugs, and that ethnic differences were exhibited that did not corroborate…

Study seeks to determine if ethnic and gender differences in polydrug use exist among a cohort of inner-city adolescents during the three-year middle school period (N=2,354). Results of self-report questionnaires reveal that Asian and Black adolescents generally reported less polydrug use than White and Hispanic youth, and that boys engaged in…