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Lack of sex education in schools has been an ongoing issue in Russia, mainly due to conservative opposition to providing accurate sexual health information openly. Many adolescents may be misinformed about contraceptive methods and may not have reliable access to effective contraception. This study assessed sexual behaviour and knowledge of contraceptives among Russian adolescents in the republic of Bashkortostan. Among a convenience sample of 716 Russian high school youth, 60% lacked information about modern contraceptive methods other than condoms. Being male, older, having had school disciplinary problems, and lifetime use of substances were associated with increased likelihood of having sexual intercourse in one's lifetime. Of the sub-sample of participants who had engaged in sexual intercourse, 43.2% endorsed one or more items on an index of sexual risk taking (e.g. multiple partners, no condom use). Additionally, the use of hard drugs and being of other ethnicity relative to Russian (e.g., mixed, Bashkir, Tartar) was associated with risky sexual behaviour. Lack of knowledge of effective contraceptives and the high prevalence of risky sexual behaviours warrants further research into this topic, as well as a call for sexual education programmes in the country.

Background: Alternative (or continuation) high schools are institutions designed for students at risk for not graduating due to behavioral, educational, or medical problems. The present study explored the relationship between negative substance use consequences (eg, having trouble at school or work) and noncondom use in this at-risk population and whether these associations varied by sex. Methods: Participants (N = 1101; 62.9% Hispanic; M[subscript age] = 16.85) were sampled from 24 alternative high schools in California, and data were analyzed using cross-sectional multivariate logistic regression models. Results: We observed a relationship between the number of negative substance use consequences and probability of noncondom use at the last sexual encounter for boys (p < 0.001) but not girls (p > 0.05). There were significant associations between specific social consequences (missing school/work) and dependence symptoms (selling personal items to get alcohol or drugs) with noncondom use for boys only. There was a similar association between substance use frequency and noncondom use for boys. Conclusions: These findings suggest that substance use consequences may be a useful and advantageous indicator of risky sexual behaviors such as noncondom use for boys, but not girls, in alternative high school settings. Future research and intervention programming recommendations are discussed.

Background: An Internet-based relapse prevention supplement to adolescent substance abuse treatment programming is a promising modality to reinforce treatment gains and enhance recovery; however, an evidence base is lacking. Objective: To assess the efficacy of the online Navigating my Journey (NmJ) program. Methods: 129 adolescent-aged participants (ages 13-23) receiving substance abuse treatment participated in a randomized parallel group study comparing two conditions: experimental (NmJ) versus attention control (viewed wellness articles from the Nemours Foundation at their discretion). Participants in the experimental condition were asked to complete 12 core lessons over 3 months. Lesson content was developed to teach evidence-based relapse prevention skills. Data were collected at four time points: baseline, 1-month follow up, 3-month follow up, and 6-month follow up. Results: We used a linear mixed modeling approach to test for differences between conditions on each outcome. Participants in the experimental condition reported a significantly greater increase in motivation to reduce or not misuse drugs from baseline to 3-month follow up and from baseline to 6-month follow up, compared to the control participants. Participants in the experimental condition also reported a greater decrease in drug use score from baseline to 3-month follow up, compared to the control participants. An analysis of age as a potential moderator suggested that the intervention may be more effective for older adolescents. Greater use of the program was associated with greater self-efficacy and lower self-reported substance use over time. Conclusions: Relapse prevention treatment with adolescents may be facilitated by theory-based online interventions. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02125539.

Anhedonia refers to the inability of experiencing pleasure in positive life events. It has been conceptualized as a stable yet malleable characteristic and is associated with hypoactivity in the mesolimbic and mesocortical dopaminergic systems. Very recently, it has been posited as an etiologic factor associated with drug addiction onset, escalation, and relapse. Prevention programming could be developed to counteract the harmful impact of anhedonia, so as to minimize its impact on drug misuse. Remedial efforts are those that either (1) permit the individual to tolerate low levels of pleasure without resorting to drug misuse or other maladaptive behaviors that may unhealthily besot pleasure (for example, through normalization, structuring time, or meditation) or (2) counteract anhedonia by enhancing ones capability to experience pleasure (for example, behavioral activation, positive psychology, pharmacotherapy, or pursuit of positive addictions). School-based activities could be developed that can be completed by individuals, small workgroups, or the whole classroom. The concept of anhedonia is described in this chapter, and possible prevention strategies that might be utilized in schools as well as other contexts are discussed.

National estimates suggest that the prevalence of tobacco and alcohol use is higher among adolescents in Russia than among adolescents in the United States and other European countries. However, research on the psychosocial correlates of, as well as protective factors for, tobacco and alcohol use among Russian adolescents has been relatively limited. Research conducted primarily in the United States has shown that spirituality and health-as-a-value are plausible predictors of adolescent substance use. However, these constructs have not been extensively studied in regions outside the United States. In this study, we tested whether spirituality and heath-as-a-value had protective effects on past-month cigarette and alcohol use behaviors and next-year cigarette and alcohol use intentions among Russian high school students (N = 354, mean age = 15.7 years), after controlling for known predictors of adolescent substance use such as age, gender, socioeconomic status, peer substance use, and sensation seeking. We found a significant inverse relationship between health-as-a-value and recent cigarette and alcohol use as well as future cigarette use intentions. However, we did not find a significant relationship between spirituality and any substance use variables. Implications of these findings for school-based substance use prevention are discussed.

Substance misuse is one of the most prevalent causes of adolescent injury and death. Additionally, 5-8% of adolescents in the U.S. qualify for a diagnosis of substance abuse disorder. This article discusses formal prevention and treatment program models, focusing on a continuum of care which extends from prevention to treatment alternatives. (Contains 1 table.)

A relatively new area of research suggests that naturally occurring mentoring relationships may influence the development of adolescents by protecting against risk behaviors. Few studies have explored how these relationships function to reduce risk behavior among youth, especially in the school context. Based on previous research and theory, we proposed and tested a mediation model, which hypothesized that school attachment mediated the longitudinal association between school-based natural mentoring relationships and risk behaviors, including eight indicators of substance use and violence. Students (N = 3320) from 65 high schools across eight states completed a self-report questionnaire at baseline and 1-year follow-up. The sample was comprised of youth with an average age of 14.8 years and an almost equal percentage of females (53%) and males from various ethnic backgrounds. Tests for mediation were conducted in Mplus using path analysis with full information maximum likelihood procedures and models adjusted for demographic covariates and baseline level of the dependent variable. Results suggested that natural mentoring relationships had a protective indirect influence on all eight risk behaviors through its positive association on the school attachment mediator. Implications are discussed for strengthening the association between school-based natural mentoring and school attachment to prevent risk behaviors among youth.

In the present study, we describe correlates of 30-day cigarette and alcohol use among two samples of high school students, one in the Russian Federation (n = 365), and one in the United States (n = 965). The correlates used in the analyses are based on the theory of triadic influence, which organizes predictors of adolescent substance use into three distinct types of influence. Overall, correlates from each of the types of influence were significant predictors of substance use in both samples. The most consistent positive predictors of cigarette and alcohol use across countries were friends' substance use and sensation seeking behavior. Perceived harmfulness of drug use was negatively associated with cigarette and alcohol use in both samples. Having a substance abuser in one's family was negatively associated with alcohol use in the Russian sample, but positively associated with alcohol use in the U.S. sample. In general, similar patterns of relationships between predictors and substance use were seen across both countries. (Contains 3 tables.)

An understanding of the role of substitute addictions remains unclear. This article examines the range and possible reward functions of substitute addictions. We suggest that prevention education and treatment need to take into account substitute addictions as an influential aspect of recovery. Research is needed to better understand the prevalence and functions of, and solutions to substitute addictions.

We examined effects of self-care after school hours and psychosocial factors on cigarette smoking and alcohol use among adolescents in China. Survey data were obtained from 4734 7th and 11th grade students from seven cities across China. Students were queried about the frequency and quantity of unsupervised self-care after school in an average week. Tobacco and alcohol usage were also obtained. Odds ratios were calculated to determine the strength of association between unsupervised self-care after school and substance use. Results indicated that the amount of self-care after-school (how many days and how many hours per week) was significantly associated with increased risk for smoking and alcohol use among Chinese adolescents. These associations remained significant even after controlling for anxiety, depressive symptoms, and peer influence. The interaction between unsupervised self-care after school and peer influence indicated that unsupervised self-care after school is a stronger risk factor for smoking among adolescents with pro-smoking friends. The findings suggest that substance use prevention programs for youth in China should try to enhance parental monitoring. As it may not be feasible for families to revert to a lifestyle that includes supervision by relatives, other approaches such as organized after-school care are worthy of consideration.

Examined the impact of a school-based substance abuse prevention program on alternative high school students' risk for violence. Analysis of students followed over 12 months indicated that there was a higher risk for victimization among male control students. No intervention effect was observed for female students or for perpetration among males. (SM)

The structural relations among depression, suicidal ideation, gateway substance abuse, and hard substance use were studied with continuation high school students considered at high risk for drug abuse. Significant differences among factor correlations for the various ethnic groups were found, and implications are discussed. (SLD)

ObjectiveThe 2016 FDA's "Deeming Rule" prohibited free samples of vaping products. The purpose of this study was to investigate compliance with or adaptation to this newly established FDA policy.MethodsVape shops were recruited in Southern California between November 2017 and December 2018. Data collectors interviewed 121 vape shop employees who responded to questions pertaining to the sampling protocol at their shop. Nicotine levels used for sampling were also assessed for consideration of future policy adoption.ResultsOnly 7.4% of shops were non-compliant to federal sampling rules. The remaining shops either: 1) charged a fee for samples (58.7%); 2) deducted the fee from the final purchase price (5.8%); or 3) eliminated product sampling (28.1%). Of the shops that charged for sampling (including membership fees), 94.4% initiated a minimal cost protocol (≤$1) for sampling. Half (50.0%) the shops that allowed sampling offered nicotine-containing samples.ConclusionThere was high compliance (92.6%) to the change in policy among vape shops. However, minimal modification of sampling protocol was observed due in part to the lack of specificity on parameters of compliance, which lessened the potential impact of the policy. To further protect consumers, policymakers must develop unambiguous and comprehensive policies to achieve intended results and true compliance. At minimum, future tobacco product sampling policies should consider standardized pricing; alternatively, total elimination of tobacco product sampling is suggested.

Vape shops specialize in the sales of e-cigarettes and other vaping products. In recent studies, young adults who use e-cigarettes have tended to identify with at-risk peer crowds. This is the first study to examine vape shop customers' clientele. Composed primarily of young adults and persons in early middle adulthood, we speculated that a relatively high prevalence of those who appeared to bystanders as radical/extreme (at-risk) customers would be identified as such at these shops. We recruited vape shops throughout Southern California (N = 44 shops), and trained teams of data collectors visited each of the consented vape shops, making note of 451 customers' appearance, including features such as manner of dress, presence of tattoos, and hairstyles. Customers were then coded as either belonging to a conventional, progressive, or radical/extreme crowd based on outward appearance. Of the customers observed, 223 (49%) were rated as appearing to be in the conventional crowd; 169 (38%) were rated as appearing to be in the progressive crowd, and only 59 (13%) were rated as appearing to be in the radical/extreme crowd. The conventional crowd tended to appear older. Clientele may reflect that more conventional young and early middle age adults are tempted to visit vape shops due to perceptions of greater acceptability or safety of e-cigarettes. E-cigarette mass media campaigns aimed at protecting potential vape shop customers from harm may need to depict more conservative-looking characters.

BackgroundPrevious literature suggests that trait impulsivity and engagement in non-drug-related behavioral addictions (e.g., Internet addiction, food addiction) are two risk factors for drug use. Here we further investigated the potential impact of having one or both of these risk factors on drug use in Los Angeles area adolescents.MethodHigh school students (N=1612; Mean age=14.1) completed self-report surveys measuring two potential risk factors (impulsivity, lifetime history of several behavioral addictions), and past 6-month use of tobacco, alcohol and marijuana. Participants who reported never using drugs completed questionnaires assessing their susceptibility for future use.ResultsIn general, adolescents who endorsed either impulsivity alone or at least two behavioral addictions alone were more likely to have used tobacco, alcohol, or marijuana compared to individuals who had neither risk factor (OR=2.50-4.13), and individuals who endorsed both impulsivity and three or more behavioral addictions were the most likely to have used these drugs (OR=9.40-10.13). Similarly, among those who had never tried a drug, individuals with this combined set of risk factors were the most likely to be susceptible to future drug use (OR=3.37-5.04).DiscussionThese results indicate that the combination of trait impulsivity and a history of behavioral addictions increases the risk for current and future drug use in adolescents, to a greater extent than either risk factor alone. It may be useful for drug prevention efforts to target impulsive adolescents who also actively engage in other non-drug-related addictive behaviors.

The social self-control scale (SSCS), which taps provocative behavior in social situations, was compared with five potentially overlapping measures (i.e., temperament-related impulsivity, psychomotor agitation-related self-control, perceived social competence, and rash action in response to negative and positive affectively charged states) as correlates of tobacco use and other drug use among a sample of 3,356 ninth-grade youth in Southern California high schools. While there was a lot of shared variance among the measures, the SSCS was incrementally associated with both categories of drug use over and above alternate constructs previously implicated in adolescent drug use. Hence, SSC may relate to adolescent drug use through an etiological pathway unique from other risk constructs. Given that youth who tend to alienate others through provocative social behavior are at risk for multiple drug use, prevention programming to modify low SSC may be warranted.

BackgroundStudies show depressive symptoms are associated with substance use in adolescents, but the mechanism underlying this association is still unclear. This study investigated negative urgency - the disposition to rash action during emotional states - as a factor explaining relations between depressive symptoms and use of several substances.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 476 adolescents (mean age 14.5 years) completed self-report surveys. Regression models and products of coefficient analyses examined the overall relation of depressive symptoms to substance use and negative urgency as a statistical mediator of this association.ResultsDepression levels associated with increased likelihood of lifetime use of cigarettes, other forms of tobacco, marijuana, alcohol, inhalants, prescription painkillers, and any substance. Relations between depression levels and lifetime use of alcohol, inhalants, and any substance were accounted for (i.e., statistically mediated) by negative urgency. In adolescents endorsing lifetime use, depression levels associated with younger age of first use of other forms of tobacco and alcohol as well as use frequency of cigarette, alcohol, and composite frequency. Negative urgency accounted for the covariance between depression level and age of first use of alcohol, but did not for other forms of tobacco or frequency of use of any substances.ConclusionsDepression levels are associated with lifetime use of a variety of substances in early adolescence and targeting this risk factor with preventive efforts may be useful in reducing risk. Negative urgency may be an important target for interventions aimed at alcohol and inhalant use.

Globally little is known regarding substance use service providers' perceptions of substitute behaviours and this significant gap could hinder service provision and recovery outcomes. Semi-structured focus group discussions (including 22 service providers across five sites) were conducted in residential treatment facilities in the Western Cape, South Africa. Service providers recognised substances (e.g. cigarettes and caffeine) and behaviours (e.g. gambling, eating, love, sex, shopping, exercise, and gaming) as potential substitutes. Identified substitute motives included managing cravings; self-medication; filling the experiential void of the primary substance, and time-spending. Concurrent behaviours and addictions were believed to be a key mechanism underlying substitution however, service providers did not uniformly screen for co-occurring behavioural addictions. Substitute behaviours were primarily considered a pathway to relapse and service providers emphasised prevention, detection and family education. To suitably intervene, screening for co-occurring behaviours should be an integral part of the assessment of those presenting for substance use treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lack of education and training on caring for patients with substance use disorder (SUD) is common among healthcare providers, often resulting in clinicians feeling unprepared to treat patients with SUD. This study explored resident physicians' experiences with SUD education throughout medical school and residency and qualitatively evaluated whether a SUD initiative improved resident's knowledge and efficacy of treating various SUDs. We implemented a brief (seven hours total) educational initiative focused on treating SUDs virtually over the course of an academic year for residents enrolled in the University of Southern California Internal Medicine Residency program. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with residents after completion of the initiative. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify common themes that emerged from the qualitative data. Every resident noted receiving insufficient training for the treatment of SUDs prior to the initiative. The initiative was viewed favorably, and participants particularly appreciated having an introduction to prescribing medication for the treatment of SUD such as buprenorphine. Despite the perceived success of the initiative in increasing awareness of treatment modalities for SUD, residents expressed a lack of comfort in handling SUD cases and desired additional practical lectures and application of knowledge through increased experiential training. SUD education and training appears to be a useful constituent of resident training and should be included in the standard curriculum and rotations. Residency programs should consider including formal education, hands-on practice, and providing adequate resources for residents to develop their capabilities to care for patients with SUD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundNon-medical/illegal use of prescription stimulants popularly have been referred to as "study drugs". This paper discusses the current prevalence and consequences of misuse of these drugs and implications of this information for drug policy.ResultsStudy drugs are being misused annually by approximately 4% of older teens and emerging adults. Yet, there are numerous consequences of misuse of prescription stimulants including addiction, negative reactions to high dosages, and medical complications. Policy implications include continuing to limit access to study drugs, finding more safe prescription drug alternatives, interdiction, and public education.ConclusionMuch more work is needed on prescription stimulant misuse assessment, identifying the extent of the social and economic costs of misuse, monitoring and reducing access, and developing prevention and cessation education efforts.

Background: Much remains unknown about the dynamics of substitute behaviors during addiction recovery among persons attending recovery support groups. Insight into the nature, motives for, and course of substitute behaviors could help to shape recovery support and harm reduction services. Methods: Twenty-three semi-structured in-depth interviews (n = 14 males and n = 9 females) were conducted with a convenience sample of Narcotics Anonymous attendees from a number of groups in the Western Cape, South Africa. Participants ranged in age from 22—55 years (M = 39.3, SD = 9.35). Results: Thematic analysis yielded four themes: (i) substance-to-substance substitution; (ii) substance-to-behavior substitution; (iii) substitute behaviors and harm (reduction) and (iv) support needs to manage and resolve substitute behaviors. According to the study, participants' substitute behaviors developed across recovery stages; were temporary or long-term replacements for substance use disorders and were engaged for distraction, isolation from others, calming, assuaging boredom, keeping occupied, filling a perceived experiential void, modifying mood and to self-medicate. While substitutes were utilized for harm reduction or relapse prevention, the potential for ostensibly healthy behaviors to threaten recovery and lead to relapse was also recognized. Conclusions: Self-monitoring, ongoing vigilance, and awareness of when substitutes become genuine addictions are critical for timely, suitable interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substitute addictions, addictive behaviors that sequentially replace each other's functions, have implications for recovery trajectories but remain poorly understood. We sought to scope the extent, range, and characteristics of research on substitute addictions in persons with substance use disorders. Method: Using Arksey and O'Malley's framework for scoping reviews, a systematic search was conducted to identify publications that referenced substitute addictions up to April 2018. Study characteristics were extracted and summarized to provide an overview of the extant literature. Results: The 63 included studies show that substitute addictions are terminologically and conceptually ambiguous. Much of the available literature is concentrated in developed contexts – and in particular the United States of America. While presentations varied, at least two sub-types of substitute addictions appeared: long-term replacement and temporary replacement. Existing theories suggest a multifactorial etiology. Conclusions: The findings suggest a strong need for: increased awareness of substitute addictions and its potential consequences for recovery; interventions that structure prevention and pre-, during-, and post-treatment interactions as well as future research to explore its nature and dynamics drawing on multiple methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the prevalence and co-occurrence of addictions to tobacco, alcohol, other drugs, food/eating, the internet, texting, video games, shopping, love, sex, exercise, work, and gambling among American Indian (AI) youth in California. As with previous work in other cultural groups, the most prevalent addictions were love, internet, and exercise, though prevalence and co-occurrence of these addictions were relatively high among AI youth. A negative life events measure was associated with all the addictions, suggesting that life stressors are associated with high rates of multiple types of addictions among AI youth. There is a need for more research to better understand the relations of life stressors with multiple addictions among AI youth as well as how to remediate these behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) predict health-compromising behaviors such as substance use. However, few studies have examined the association between ACE and prescription drug misuse among young adults—a growing public health concern. College students are especially vulnerable to prescription drug misuse due to social and academic stressors. This study investigated associations between ACE and prescription drug misuse (e.g., antidepressants, opiates, sedatives and stimulants) among a diverse college population, as well as gender and racial/ethnic variations in these associations. Methods: Data are from the 2018 American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment II (N = 3899) at a large, diverse university in California. Logistic regression models assessed the association between ACE and prescription drug misuse adjusting for gender and race/ethnicity and explored gender and racial/ethnic differences in the ACE/prescription drug misuse association. Results: ACE was associated with misuse of all prescription drugs. Due to significant effect modification by ethnicity in the relationship between ACE and stimulant misuse (p < 0.05), models were stratified by race/ethnicity. Every additional ACE was associated with an increase in adjusted odds of stimulant use among students identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (API) and Hispanic, but not Whites. Conclusions: This study contributes to the mounting evidence regarding the importance of ACE screening and the use of campus-based prevention programs. This study also suggests programs should be tailored to address cultural variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) adolescents have a higher prevalence of commercial tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use than other racial/ethnic groups in the United States. It is unclear whether cultural factors such as ethnic identity, spirituality, and ceremonial use of traditional tobacco are associated with substance use, especially use of emerging tobacco products such as electronic cigarettes, among AIAN adolescents. Methods. This study investigated the association between hypothesized cultural protective factors (ethnic identity, spirituality, and ceremonial use of traditional tobacco) and past-month use of commercial cigarettes, e-cigarettes, marijuana, blunts, and alcohol among 156 AIAN adolescents in California (mean age = 15.3 years, 55% female). Adolescents from six AIAN schools and afterschool programs completed paper-and-pencil surveys. We used Logistic regression analyses to identify the significant cultural correlates of past-month substance use, controlling for demographic covariates. Results. As hypothesized, strong ethnic identity was protective against cigarette, marijuana, and alcohol use. However, it was not protective against e-cigarette or blunt use. Spirituality was associated with an increased risk of cigarette and marijuana use. Previous ceremonial use of traditional tobacco was not associated with past-month recreational substance use. Conclusions. Results indicate that the associations between cultural factors and substance use vary across substances. Future research should identify cultural factors that protect AIAN adolescents against use of newer products such as e-cigarettes and blunts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To provide a broad overview of the state of drug misuse research, particularly focusing on opioid drug use in the U.S.A. Design: An overview of published reviews of the literature. Results: Prescription opioid use has increased globally from 2008 to 2013, while use of opiates such as heroin and opium have remained stable in many countries, although, decreases have been observed in parts of Europe. Opioid misuse is highest in the United States; approximately 11.8 million Americans misused opioids in 2016. Demographic, genetic, psychosocial and structural/environmental factors all play a role in determining who will become an opioid misuser. Strategies such as increased prescribing of non-opioid derived pain relievers, expansion of medication treatment, distribution of naloxone for overdose reversal and supervised consumption sites are some of the solutions posed to reduce the spread and consequences of opioid misuse. Conclusion: Research focused on understanding of opioid neurobiology, as well as empirically based, effective alternatives to pain management and implementation studies on combined prevention and treatment approaches are needed. It will take the combined effort of community members, healthcare professionals, policymakers and researchers in order to prevent and treat opioid misuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition-to-adulthood themes, or thoughts and feelings about emerging adulthood, have been measured by the Inventory of the Dimensions of Emerging Adulthood (IDEA) and found to be associated with substance use among emerging adults. It has been suggested, however, that the IDEA is lengthy and may not include the most unique and theoretically relevant constructs of emerging adulthood. The Revised Inventory of the Dimensions of Emerging Adulthood (IDEA-R) was developed as an alternative instrument, but research has yet to determine the relationship between the IDEA-R and substance use among emerging adults (ages 18-25 years). College students completed surveys indicating their identification with transition-to-adulthood themes and substance use. Logistic regression models examined the associations between transition-to-adulthood themes and marijuana use and binge drinking, respectively. Participants who felt emerging adulthood was a time of identity exploration were less likely to report marijuana use, while feelings of experimentation/possibility were positively associated with marijuana use and binge drinking. The IDEA-R may be useful for identifying correlates of substance use among emerging adults. Future research should evaluate the IDEA-R among representative samples of emerging adults to confirm the findings of this study. Health professionals working in substance use prevention may consider targeting the themes of identity exploration and experimentation/possibility in programs intended for emerging adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: We conducted a review of the prevalence and co-occurrence of 12 types of addictions in US ethnic/racial groups and discuss the implications of the results for genetic research on addictions.Methods: We utilized MEDLINE and PsycINFO databases to review the literature on alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, illicit drugs, gambling, eating/food, internet, sex, love, exercise, work, and shopping. We present results for each addiction based on total US prevalence, prevalence within ethnic groups, and co-occurrence of addictions among ethnic groups when available.Results: This review indicates very little research has examined the interrelationships of addictive behaviors among US ethnic groups. The studies that exist have focused nearly exclusively on comorbidity of substances and gambling behaviors. Overall findings suggest differences among US ethnic groups in prevalence of addictions and in prevalence of addiction among those who use substances or engage in gambling. Almost no ethnic group comparisons of other addictive behaviors including eating/food, internet, love, sex, exercise, work, and shopping were identified in the literature.Conclusions: Despite large-scale research efforts to examine alcohol and substance use disorders in the United States, few studies have been published that examine these addictive behaviors among ethnic groups, and even fewer examine co-occurrence and comorbidity with other addictions.Scientific Significance: Even with the limited studies, these findings have implications for genetic research on addictive behaviors. We include a discussion of these implications, including issues of population stratification, disaggregation, admixture, and the interplay between genetic and environmental factors in understanding the etiology and treatment of addictions. (Am J Addict 2017;26:424-436). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Emerging adulthood (ages 18 to 25) is characterized by changes in relationships, education, work, and viewpoints on life. The prevalence of substance use also peaks during this period. Among emerging adults, Hispanics have a unique substance use profile, and have been described as a priority population for substance use prevention. Cross-sectional studies among Hispanics have shown that specific role transitions (e.g., starting or ending romantic relationships) were associated with substance use. Negative affect from uncertainty/stress that accompanies role transitions in emerging adulthood may lead to substance use as a maladaptive coping mechanism. Longitudinal studies are needed to gain a more complete understanding of these associations.Methods: Participants completed surveys for Project RED, a longitudinal study of substance use among Hispanics in Southern California. This study used Coarsened Exact Matching to overcome the methodological limitations of previous studies. Participants were matched on pretreatment variables including age, gender, substance use behavior in high school, and depressive symptoms. Past-month cigarette use, binge drinking, marijuana use, and hard drug use were the outcomes of interest. After matching, each outcome was regressed on each individual role transition in year one of emerging adulthood with this process repeated in year two of emerging adulthood.Results: Role transitions in romance and work were positively associated with multiple categories of substance use.Conclusions: Prevention programs should teach emerging adults ways to cope with the stress from role transitions. Individual role transitions may be used to screen for subgroups of emerging adults at high risk for substance use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Health & Addictions / Salud y Drogas is the property of Health & Addictions / Salud y Drogas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A highly stressful life event (SLE) can elicit positive psychosocial growth, referred to as post-traumatic growth (PTG) among youth. We examined PTG and the number of SLEs for their influence on substance use behaviours among a sample of older, diverse alternative high school students participating in a drug prevention programme (n = 564; mean age = 16.8; 49% female; 65% Hispanic). Surveys assessed PTG, SLEs and substance use behaviours at the two-year follow-up. Multilevel regression models were run to examine the effect of PTG and the number of SLEs on frequency of substance use at the two-year follow-up, controlling for baseline substance use, sociodemographic variables, peer substance use, attrition propensity and treatment group. Greater PTG scores were associated with lower frequencies of alcohol use, getting drunk on alcohol, binge drinking, marijuana use and less substance abuse at the two-year follow-up, but not associated with cigarette or hard drug use. Also, PTG did not moderate the relationship between cumulative number of SLEs and substance use behaviours, rather PTG appears to be protective against negative effects of a single, life-altering SLE. Fostering PTG from a particularly poignant SLE may be useful for prevention programmes targeting alcohol, marijuana and substance abuse behaviours among high-risk youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editors discuss various reports within the issue on topics including the effects of exposure to diesel exhaust (DE) on mesolimbic dopamine (DA) turnover in mice, the impact of air pollution on addictive behaviors, and child's neuropsychological development.

Copyright of Substance Use & Misuse is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Most peer group self-identification research has been conducted in the United States. This article examined the generalizability of self-identified group name research among teens in Ufa, a city in the Russian Federation. A cross-sectional, anonymous collection of data on group self-identification, drug use, addiction concern, sensation seeking, and self-rated school performance was collected from 365 10th grade youth in Ufa and 965 10th grade youth in the United States. The results supported the existence of peer group self-identification by youth in both countries and, in general, replicated the findings that youth who self-identify as a High Risk Youth, are relatively likely to use drugs, show greater concern about becoming an addict, report a greater sensation seeking preference, higher levels of depression, and poorer school performance. Implications of these results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the relations of social self-control and sensation seeking with substance use across samples of US and Russian adolescents. Methods: Cross-sectional data were obtained from 362 tenth-graders from Ufa, Russia, and 965 tenth-graders from California. Results: Lack of social self-control was significantly related with higher alcohol and hard drug use in the Russian sample and higher cigarette use in the US sample. Higher sensation-seeking showed significant associations with higher cigarette and alcohol use in the Russian sample and higher alcohol, marijuana, and hard drug use in the US sample. Conclusion: As with US adolescents, prevention programs for Russian adolescents may also benefit from being tailored to higher sensation-seekers and including self-control skills training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little systematic research attention has been devoted to the impact of natural disasters on adolescent substance use. The present study examined relationships among exposure to Hurricane Rita, post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms, and changes in adolescent substance use from 13 months pre-disaster to seven and 19 months post-disaster. Subjects were 280 high school students in southwestern Louisiana who participated in a drug abuse prevention intervention trial prior to the hurricane. Two-thirds of participants were female and 68% were white. Students completed surveys at baseline (13 months pre-hurricane) and two followups (seven and 19 months post-hurricane). Results indicated a positive bivariate relationship between PTS symptoms, assessed at 7 months post-hurricane, and increases in alcohol (p < .05) and marijuana use (p < .10) from baseline to the 7 months post-hurricane follow-up. When these associations were examined collectively with other hurricane-related predictors in multivariate regression models, PTS symptoms did not predict increases in substance use. However, objective exposure to the hurricane predicted increases in marijuana use, and post-hurricane negative life events predicted increases in all three types of substance use (ps < .10). These findings suggest that increased substance use may be one of the behaviors that adolescents exhibit in reaction to exposure to hurricanes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that acculturation increases the risk of substance use among Hispanic youth. However, this process is not well understood. This study examined associations between acculturation and several substance use indicators among a sample of 714 Hispanic youth attending alternative high schools in southern California. Peer social influence was assessed as a potential mediator. Acculturation, measured by language use, was associated with increased risk of lifetime alcohol, marijuana, and current alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, and hard drug use, controlling for age, socioeconomic status, and gender. Results of mediation analyses indicate that peer social influence mediated the relationship between acculturation and lifetime alcohol and current alcohol, cigarettes, and hard drug use. Evidence for partial mediation was observed with lifetime and current marijuana use. These results provide evidence that peer social influence is an important mediating variable that should be considered when examining the relationship between acculturation and substance use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to conduct a needs assessment of a potential social service resource telephone program component among high risk youth who received the Project Towards No Drug Abuse (TND) classroom-based program (approximately 1 year earlier). Results supported youths' overwhelming receptiveness of a social service referral program. The vast majority of respondents indicated a strong desire for resource and referral information on vocational, educational, recreational, transportation, and mental health and drug counseling. Further research is needed to investigate the effectiveness of the provision of social service resource information on drug use among emerging adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To test whether a social network tailored substance abuse prevention program can reduce substance use among high-risk adolescents without creating deviancy training (iatrogenic effects). Methods A classroom randomized controlled trial comparing control classes with those receiving an evidence-based substance use prevention program [Towards No Drug Abuse (TND)] and TND Network, a peer-led interactive version of TND. Students ( n = 541, mean age 16.3 years) in 75 classes from 14 alternative high schools completed surveys before and approximately 1 year after curriculum delivery. Past-month use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and cocaine were assessed. Results Overall, TND Network was effective in reducing substance use. However, the program effect interacted with peer influence and was effective mainly for students who had peer networks that did not use substances. Students with classroom friends who use substances were more likely to increase their use. Conclusions A peer-led interactive substance abuse prevention program can accelerate peer influences. For students with a peer environment that supports non-use, the program was effective and reduced substance use. For students with a peer environment that supports substance use, an interactive program may have deleterious effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess perceived implementation of 2 substance-abuse prevention programs: a standard one and a peer-led interactive one. Methods: Data from 16 health educators were collected after 504 classroom sessions, 63 of which were observed by 24 monitors. Results: In the interactive program, health educators (HEs) followed the curriculum less closely, reported less favorable classroom processes and less off-task talking than in the standard one. Conclusions: These data indicate that an interactive substance-abuse prevention program does not necessarily entail more off-task discussion but also does not necessarily guarantee more favorable program implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study examined the one year prospective associations between adolescent social self-control and drug outcomes (cigarette use, alcohol use, marijuana use, hard drug use, and problem drug use) among adolescents from regular and continuation high schools. In our previous cross-sectional study, poor social self-control was found to be associated with higher drug use, controlling for 12 personality disorder categories. In this study, we attempted to find out (a) whether lack of social self-control predicted drug use one year later, and (b) whether drug use at baseline predicted social self-control one year later. Methods: We surveyed 2081 older adolescents from 9 regular (N = 1529) and 9 continuation (alternative) (N = 552) high schools in the Los Angeles area. Data were collected at two time points in an interval of approximately 1 year. Results: Past 30-day cigarette smoking, marijuana use, hard drug use, and problem drug use at baseline were found to predict lower social self-control at follow-up, controlling for baseline social self-control and demographic variables. The effect of problem drug use as a one-year predictor of social self-control was found to be moderated by school type (regular or continuation high school), such that the relationship was significant for continuation high school students only. Conversely, social self-control was found to predict past 30-day alcohol use, marijuana use, and problem drug use, controlling for baseline drug use and demographic variables. For alcohol use, marijuana use, and problem drug use outcomes, school type was not found to moderate the effects of social self-control, though an interaction effect was found regarding cigarette smoking. Social self-control was a significant predictor of cigarette use only at regular high school. Conclusion: The results indicate that social self-control and drug use share a reciprocal relationship. Lack of social self-control in adolescents seems to result in increased drug use, which in turn is likely to further decrease social self-control. Thus, it seems that social self-control is an alterable cognitive-behavioral attribute which can be improved through skill-based interventions in order to prevent drug use among adolescents. Policies aimed at preventing drug abuse among adolescents may benefit from institutionalizing social self-control skills training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined relationships between illegal and legal drug use and violence perpetration and victimization as well as possible mediators of these relationships. Subjects were continuation high school students followed prospectively over 5 years. Results indicated that illegal drug use predicted violence and victimization 5 years later and that earlier victimization was also associated with later illegal drug use. A measure intending to tap a psychopharmacological effects system, consistent with its definition in Goldstein's (1985) [Goldstein, P. J. (1985). The drugs/violence nexus: A tripartite conceptual framework. Journal of Drug Issues, 15(4), 493-506] tripartite model, was found to mediate the relationships between illegal drug use and victimization and violence. Results suggest that violence and victimization prevention efforts may benefit by addressing the psychopharmacological effects of adolescent illegal drug use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study described the prevalence of adult role taking and substance use among individuals attending alternative high schools, who were followed for five years to early emerging adulthood (n = 848). Psychosocial factors at baseline and adult role taking at the follow-up were examined as correlates of substance use during emerging adulthood. At this stage of life, 74% of subjects were employed, 30% were married or engaged, and 43% had at least one child. One third of subjects were daffy cigarette smokers, and 24% had used marijuana in the past 30 days. Forty-seven percent had experienced negative consequences of alcohol or drug use in the last year. The most consistent positive predictors of substance use in emerging adulthood were male gender and previous drug use. Addiction concern was a consistent negative predictor. After controlling for baseline psychosocial variables, attending school and being married at the five-year follow-up were negative correlates of both personal consequences and problems related to alcohol or drug use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the prediction of marijuana use cessation among young adults who were regular users 5 years earlier. Social, attitude, intrapersonal, violence-related, drug use, and demographic baseline measures served as predictors of whether or not 339 teenage marijuana users reported having quit use 5 years later. Young adult social role variables were included as additional predictors. Quitting was defined as having not used marijuana in the last 30 days (42% of the sample at follow-up). After controlling for covariation among predictors, in a three-step analysis, only baseline level of marijuana use, male gender, young adult marital status, and friends'' marijuana use (marginal) remained statistically direct predictors. Implications of these results include the need to reduce psychological dependence on marijuana and increase social unacceptability of marijuana use across genders to help increase prevalence of quit attempts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article summarizes the theoretical basis for targeted prevention programs as they apply to different high-risk groups. We explain the advantages and disadvantages of different definitions of risk and discuss strategies for preventing drug use related problems in high- risk youth. Productive prevention programs for many at-risk groups share similar components, including those that address motivation, skills, and decision making. We present key aspects of these three components and link them to theories in clinical psychology, social psychology, sociology, and chemical dependence treatment. Among a total of 29 promising targeted prevention programs, we describe examples of empirically evaluated, intensive interventions that have made a positive impact on the attitudes and behavior of multiple problem youth. Incorporating the perspectives of multiple disciplines appears essential for progress in drug abuse and other problem behavior prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]