Search

Set against a backdrop of diminished interest in drug education outside of school settings in Ireland, this paper draws from 10 years of professional practice in the field of drug education and prevention, to reflect on illicit drug use in Ireland and on the lay understandings of illicit drug use encountered by this practitioner. This paper sets out to achieve four things; paint a picture of the Irish illicit drug landscape and of lay understandings of drugs and drug issues; highlight the emergent issue of people obtaining fake drug information on the Internet; explore drug education as a field of scholarship in Ireland; and reflect on 10 years of practitioner experience within the field. Given the complexity of the drug landscape and the proliferation of questionable drug information available online, this paper argues that drug education is an appropriate and worthwhile response to precarious understandings of illicit drugs and drug issues. The paper suggests drug education warrants revival within the Irish context, particularly given the pace of change in both the drugs and online landscapes. To conclude, this practitioner urges other practitioners and scholars with an interest in drug education within the Irish context to revive and advance the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the role of gender in the constitution youth alcohol and other drug consumption in Australian drug education curriculum. Drawn from an analysis of contemporary classroom drug education documents, it is argued that current drug education reproduces unethical and harmful accounts of femininity and masculinity. These enactments of gender primarily arise in three ways. First, drug education currently positions young women's consumption practices as intrinsically more problematic than those of young men. Second, drug education works to position young women's consumption practices as a problem of spoiled reputation and regret. Third, drug education works to responsibilise young women for potential danger and harm they experience while intoxicated without any consideration of the illegal actions of young men. Working with Annemarie Mol's notion of ontological politics, this article argues that Australian drug education enacts gendered realities of youth consumption that work to reproduce, rather than reduce, a range of social harms, ‘drug-related’ or otherwise. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper draws upon archive material to explore the reasons for the absence of any drugs education films, or ‘mass-mediated drugs education’, during the immediate post-war period in Britain. The term ‘mass-mediated drugs education’ is used to refer to any drugs education messages communicated via the mass communication technologies of the twentieth century—the ‘high modern age’. While this might appear a rather narrowly defined interest in media history, the evidence offered in explanation provides some important insights into the assumptions made about mass media by British policy-makers and political elites during the ‘high modern age’ of mass communication. In contrast to Britain, during the same period in the United States, a plentiful supply of drugs education films was generated through the energies and interests of state agencies and moral entrepreneurs. Many of the US films of the ‘reefer madness’ era of the 1930s and the short ‘social guidance’ films of the fifties and sixties still remain in circulation, thanks to YouTube and other video file sharing sites where they are widely relished for their hysterical and wildly exaggerated treatment of the dangers of illicit drug use. However, in Britain there is an absence of any drugs education films or mass-mediated drugs education during the fifties and sixties, while the first government-sponsored mass-mediated drugs education was not produced until the mid-1980s, five decades after the first US films appeared. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Synthetic cannabinoids have recently gained popularity as recreational drugs because they provide a marijuana-like high and cannot be detected in typical urine drug screens. However, the use of synthetic cannabinoids may result in a variety of adverse effects. Objectives: The intent of this investigation was to determine whether synthetic cannabinoid exposures in Texas demonstrated any geographic variation. Methods: A total of 1037 synthetic cannabinoid exposures reported to Texas poison centers during 2010-2011 were identified and the county and Texas Public Health Region (PHR) where the call originated from ascertained. The distribution of exposures by county and PHR was determined. Results: Synthetic cannabinoid exposures were reported in 124 of the 254 Texas counties (mean exposures per county 4.1, range 0-179). The exposure rate among the 11 PHRs varied from 2.79 to 7.14 per 100,000 population. The rate was 4.02 in urban counties and 4.90 in rural counties. Conclusion: Synthetic cannabinoid exposures reported to Texas poison centers varied by geographic region. The rate tended to be higher in rural counties. Scientific Significance: Such information may be useful when attempting to target education and prevention activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Climate Schools: Alcohol and Cannabis Module is a universal harm-minimization school-based prevention program for adolescents aged 13-15 years. The core content of the program is delivered over the Internet using cartoon storylines to engage students, and teacher-driven activities reinforce the core information. The program is embedded within the school health curriculum and is easy to implement with minimal teacher training required. The program was developed in 2007 through extensive collaboration with teachers, students, and health professionals ( N == 24) in Sydney, Australia and has since been evaluated ( N == 764). This article describes the formative research and process of planning that formed the development of the program and the evidence base underpinning the approach. The study's limitations are noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drugs and the Brain: A Serious Game, a prototype museum exhibit, was designed to employ virtual models of the brain into a video game format. It was done to create a fun and engaging way of conveying knowledge and concepts about neuroscience, as well as the impact of methamphetamine abuse on the brain. The purpose of this study is to evaluate this prototype exhibit that promises to educate participants from various age, ethnicity, and gender backgrounds, and to establish a stronger concept of drug abuse prevention among children. A quantitative methodology using the pre- and post-experimental designs was conducted on 175 museum visitors. A series of two-sample paired t-tests and subsequent ANOVAs were performed to examine the difference between pre- and post-tests and to determine if there was a difference in the results in age, gender, ethnicity, and race. Results showed that both the understanding and attitudes of the participants toward the impact of methamphetamine abuse on the brain improved significantly (p < 0.01). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is evidence suggesting that self harm among young people is beginning earlier, in childhood and adolescent years. This paper reports on a qualitative study of primary school staff responses to self harm among children. Some studies with adolescents show self harm presents challenges to education professionals who may lack training or resources to address this issue, yet research concerning self harm among primary school children is limited. The present study provides an analysis of education professionals' experiences and understandings of self harm in primary school children. Interviews with 15 staff members from six schools in the North of England were analysed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Key themes discussed concern: how self harm affects staff emotionally; reasons staff ascribe to children's self harming; how self harm is managed. The present study indicates problems associated with a 'fire-fighting' approach where self harm is only dealt with as it becomes visible. Instead, the authors advocate policy-level initiatives proactively addressing self harm, as has happened in sex and drug education. Intervention around self harm in schools could usefully broaden staff members' understandings of self harm, allow opportunity for reflection and discussion, and make resources available to staff working with children who self harm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recreational drug use in common, particularly in those attending nightclubs. Their knowledge about the potential toxicity of drugs and how to manage this is variable. Methods: We therefore established a multidisciplinary local network of key stakeholders interested in the prevention and management of recreational drug toxicity. Through this network we designed a unique outreach educational concept, ‘Drug Idle’, for recreational drug users and their friends. This was run within nightclub environments in a user-friendly, non-judgemental forum. We describe here the development of this educational concept and how it was evaluated and adapted on the basis of feedback from attendees. Results: 149 attended the three Drug Idle events as part of this study. All of those trialling the finalized concept thought all three components of the concept were useful, 96.0% that it was of appropriate duration and 98.8% that they would recommend future events to a friend. Conclusions: We believe that wider use of this outreach educational concept will help to improve the knowledge of those using recreational drugs, especially concerning management of drug toxicity. Additionally, it will provide them with information that will enable them to make informed decisions about the risk of continuing use of recreational drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the new ideas emerging from neuroscience regarding the question of why some people are compelled to use drugs. During the process of drug exposure, the brain's motivational system is changed and these changes, along with changes in the brain's self-regulatory structures, compel an individual to use drugs. Ways to reverse those changes in an addicted brain have been identified, as have ways to enhance self-regulatory control. The information from neuroscience offers a new perspective on “loss of control” as well as offering implications for treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The study examined normative school drug-education practice in Scotland and the extent to which it reflected the evidence base for effective drug education. Methods: Current guidance in Scotland was compared with systematic review evidence on drug-education effectiveness; a survey was mailed to primary, secondary and special schools (928 questionnaires returned); and 100 drug-education lessons were systematically observed across 40 schools. Findings: Nearly all schools provided drug education but modes of delivery and learning approaches did not always reflect the evidence base. There was a strong reliance on information provision and more limited use of social influences, resistance and normative approaches. Teaching was reasonably interactive, particularly with teachers who had been trained. Although drug education was provided across all school years, there was limited linkage and some duplication of content for different age groups. The rationale for resource use was not always clear, and some resources were inappropriate for pupils. Conclusions: Recommendations for closing the gap between evidence and practice include: guidance that emphasizes more strongly the weight of evidence behind recommendations; training in effective approaches; greater continuity and integration of drug education across the whole curriculum; a review of resources; and better guidance on using external visitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author comments on the article "New perspectives on drug education/prevention" by Marsha Rosenbaum in which the author suggests that researchers must remove their subjective perception of reality and turn their attention to objective data. Topics discussed include people required to take an evidence-based approach to drug policy; applying realty based drug prevention and accompanying prevention program; and failure of Rosenbaum to back up his claim with empirical evidence.

A foreword to the article "From Preschool to Drug Education and Prevention: A Progressive and Evidence-based Approach," is presented.

Pharmacology, as a basic medical science discipline, provides the scientific basis of therapeutics, i.e. the scientific foundation for safe and rational prescribing of drugs. The public, lay media, and the medical profession have raised serious concerns over the high incidence of errors of drug prescribing which compromise patient safety, including death of some patients, attributed mainly to inadequate teaching of medical pharmacology and, consequently, to medical graduates lacking skills in safe and effective drug prescribing. There is also overwhelming evidence that the pervasive and prevalent doctor-drug industry relationships have a strong influence over the prescribing habits and drug education of doctors. The British Pharmacological Society and American Association of Medical Colleges have crafted some insightful guidelines, including the learning of desired attitudes, for designing a medical pharmacology curriculum aimed at enhancing patient safety. This article will critically review the major issues relating to errors of drug prescribing, including the need to nurture the early development of desired attitudes which foster safe and rational drug prescribing. A simple educational approach, using a task analysis of drug prescribing, is applied to identify desired attitudes which should be incorporated into a basic pharmacology course for medical students in the twenty-first century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, The Missouri Institute of Mental Health produced a series of media tools designed to teach fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade children from African-American churches about the science of drug addiction. Beginning with a core curriculum, we created two separate interventions. In the SpaceScouts version of the program, the content is embedded within a narrative storyline delivered via an interactive DVD. In the LockerTalk version of the program, content is delivered in a more didactic form via an interactive CD-ROM. Youths from a dozen churches were randomly assigned to one of these two conditions or to a wait-list control. We conducted pretest, posttest, and four- and eight-month follow-up evaluations. We ran an additional sample of youths through our programs during a summer camp. Analyses of our programs revealed that students who received our interventions demonstrated some modest gains in knowledge. Specifically, students who viewed SpaceScouts demonstrated improvements from baseline on one of the three sub-modules at post-test. Students who viewed LockerTalk, however, showed greater overall mastery of the content as compared to the students who viewed SpaceScouts or were in the wait-list control condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate if a school-based education and counseling program (Life Skills Training Program) would have an impact on school-aged children/adolescents' views of substance abuse. The study also investigated the degree and direction of change. Participants were 338 elementary or middle-school students in the metro Houston, Texas, area. Results indicated that preexisting views significantly differed from post-intervention views, and that the Life Skills Training Program provided participants with a more accurate view of substance abuse. Findings support formulated hypotheses and effectiveness of the Life Skills Training Program with the sampled population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined whether Motivational Interviewing (MI), found effective with voluntary entrants to drug treatment, would improve intrinsic motivation and treatment retention among drug court probationers. Probationers were randomly assigned to receive either a two-session MI intervention or a two-session Drug Education (DE) intervention preceding drug-free outpatient counseling. Participants who received MI (n = 72) did not differ from participants who received DE (n = 68) nor from participants who did not attend either MI or DE sessions (n = 56) on changes in motivation during the first month of treatment or in treatment retention. Baseline motivation was inversely related to time in treatment; however, motivation after one month of treatment, and change in motivation from baseline to one month, were independently and positively related to treatment retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes an innovative drug prevention pilot in which developing a substance abuse video served as a vehicle for teaching youth healthy attitudes and behaviors. Seven 10- to 12-year-old African Americans from a public housing development participated in 10 weekly sessions focusing on video skills and substance abuse. Based on the principles of capacity building and cognitive dissonance theory, the children learned about substance abuse in their community and movie-making, which they used to created an antidrug video. Six activities were identified as critical to the program's success: family involvement, community engagement, adapting drug education content to fit community characteristics, using the camcorder as a central vehicle for learning, community field assignments. and evaluation-based learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the current study was to assess the rate of substance use in patients with medical diseases who were admitted to different wards at Shiraz hospitals affiliated to the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Data were gathered from 600 randomly selected patients by a structured interview that included DSM-IV criteria for substance dependency. The mean ages for men and women were 45.8 and 44.7 years, respectively. In this group, 76.7% of the men and 83.7% of the women were married. The majority (29%) of the patients were current nicotine users, and 7.2% were opium users; none used cocaine or LSD. The reported reasons for initial use of substance(s),in order of frequencies, were enjoyment, modeling and release of tension; for current users the reasons were habit, enjoyment and need. Substance use, especially cigarettes, was found to be common among patients. Cultural attitudes toward substance use were thought to affect the type and amount of use. These findings can be considered when planning preventive programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the rationale, study design, and implementation for the Step'n Out study of the Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies. Step'n Out tests the relative effectiveness of collaborative behavioral management of drug-involved parolees. Collaborative behavioral management integrates the roles of parole officers and treatment counselors to provide role induction counseling, contract for pro-social behavior, and deliver contingent reinforcement of behaviors consistent with treatment objectives. The Step'n Out study will randomize 450 drug-involved parolees to collaborative behavioral management or usual parole. Follow-up at 3-and 9-months will assess primary outcomes of rearrest, crime and drug use. If collaborative behavioral management is effective, its wider adoption could improve the outcomes of community reentry of drug-involved ex-offenders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines a high school drug education text using critical discourse analysis (CDA) to discern its underlying ideological commitments and political dispositions. I begin with an overview of CDA and why it is a suitable methodology for my work, and then provide a brief history of drug education in North America. Next, I consider some of the primary discursive features of a Canadian eighth-grade drug education teacher's manual called Making Decisions. I continue with a focused interrogation of a student 'fact sheet' on hallucinogens, and conclude with some educational implications of my research. Paying careful attention to features such as genre, syntax, interdiscursivity, and lexicalization, I question core assumptions made by both a drug education text and the broader medical, public health, legal and drug policy discourses from which it draws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responses from 420 parents of fifth- and sixth-grade DARE students in a Midwestern county were examined to determine the parents' perceptions of the impact of DARE on their children's and their own attitudes and behavior. Major findings indicated that most parents did not see an impact on their child's school performance or overall attendance. Most perceived program impact with respect to the child's improved understanding and ability to resist drug use and improved perception of police officers. Most parents themselves reported increased awareness of substance abuse problems and increased conversation with their children about drug use as a result of DARE. Relevance of the findings to describing the perceived value and utility of DARE for parents as a stakeholder group is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing literature suggests that Blacks and to some extent Hispanics are less likely than Whites to use substances in their youth. However, by age 35 their use rates are higher than those of Whites. This has been referred to as the race/ethnic age crossover effect in substance use. However, more research is needed to clarify whether this is true for Blacks and Hispanics, males and females, and for drugs and alcohol. It is also empirically unclear why this crossover effect occurs. The present study explores these issues. The National Household Survey of Drug Abuse is merged for four years (1999-2002) to study the race/ethnic age crossover effect (n = 208,878). The results suggest that the race/ethnic age crossover effect cannot be used to describe Hispanic relative to White substance use. However, it is applicable to Black substance use, in particular illegal drug use for Black males and heavy drinking for Black females. Additional analyses reveal that the crossover effect for Blacks is eliminated when socio-demographic controls are included. With controls, drug use and heavy drinking for Blacks are lower than that of Whites for all age groups and for both males and females. Process differences are also revealed in the effects of the socio-demographic correlates. More specifically, these analyses of composition and process suggest that drug availability/exposure is a particularly important factor which likely contributes to the crossover effect in substance use and deserves further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the differences in the ways public schools treat teen use of marijuana and ADD/ADHD drugs. While any use of marijuana in and around school is dealt with harshly, schools often encourage students to use ADD/ADHD drugs, even passing them out during the school day. Examining these differences, this article explores the similarities and differences between the two types of drugs. Similarities include ease of access, reasons for use, attitudes about the drugs' effects, and the U.S. drug culture in general. Differences include the actual effects of the drugs, education about the drugs, and punishments for unlawful use in school. The article concludes that the stance that drugs are 'good' when promoted by the school sends students mixed messages that are detrimental to their mental and physical health and serves to undermine educators' ability to teach students effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parent drug education is considered a key aspect of drug prevention. Effective communication acts as protective factor for drug misuse in young people. This study is a Participatory Action Research study of Drugsbridge, a drug education programme that has an emphasis on facilitating intergenerational communication about drugs between parents and unrelated young people. The programme was designed on principles of best practice in parent drug education: the provision of balanced information; the development of communication skills and the merging of parents' and young people's drug education. Qualitative multi-methods were used to ascertain parents' (n = 6) and young people's (n = 11) perspectives and experiences of the programme. The research found that it was valuable to have parents and unrelated young people attend the programme together. Being unrelated removed some of the obstacles within family communication and enabled more open and honest, two-way communication between the generations. Parents developed a more balanced perspective of drugs and young people; and young people were empowered to discuss their own experiences and perspectives. The research, and its limitations, as well as suggestions for further research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the authors examine factors associated with initial and present Ecstasy use among young adults. Face-to-face structured interviews were conducted in Atlanta. Georgia among 261 active Ecstasy users. The median age at which respondents first heard of Ecstasy was 16 years, whereas the median age of first Ecstasy use was 18 years. Initial Ecstasy use frequently involved polydrug use, including alcohol (50.4%). In terms of their current use, 47.5% of respondents were considered heavy Ecstasy users (using on 10 or more separate occasions in the last 90 days). White respondents. those who used more than one pill during their initial use, and those who used again within one month after their initial use were more likely to be current heavy Ecstasy users. Women, those who waited a longer time between initial and subsequent Ecstasy use, and those who considered themselves in the upper SES bracket were less likely to be current heavy Ecstasy users. A better understanding of initial and current Ecstasy use patterns, including polydrug use, is essential for effective prevention and intervention efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"The Doubles," funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, is a seven-episode series of media tools designed to teach third- and fourth-grade students about the science of drug addiction. The program's curriculum was delivered through a set of DVDs, interactive CD-ROMs, workbooks, or an Internet Site. Results indicate that although the interventions were successful in teaching students about the biological bases of substance abuse, they had little effect on student attitudes. Implications for future studies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes school-based substance use prevention programs, comparing programs in the United States and Nordic countries, explores how cultural factors influence the ways in which prevention programs are designed and implemented, and how evaluation is affected by design and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper reports on a study of the efficacy of drugs education delivered to children aged 7 to 11 years through a carefully sequenced high-fidelity programme of classroom based curriculum enrichment activities supported by visiting drug education specialist educators. The programme was designed to map onto the national curriculum requirements of British primary schools and was framed within the conceptual boundaries provided by a 'healthy lifestyles approach'. The programme operated through a spiral curriculum with each year of the programme building on the alms and objectives of preceding years. The overarching aim was to enable children to develop an increasingly sophisticated cognitive framework through which they would be empowered to make informed choices about being safe, healthy and drug-free. 240 children between 3+ and 10+ years of age, were assessed for knowledge and understanding of targeted healthy lifestyles issues prior to and at two points subsequent to the interventions. Children were drawn in approximately equal numbers from nursery classes through to year 6 across 14 schools in one large urban Authority in the North of England. The Authority had adopted a drugs prevention and education programme delivered by a National Charity and supported by teachers and parents. This paper reports on the data from a defined age segment of the total sample. Outcomes indicated that the intervention with subsequent teacher support in-class affected positively children's knowledge of how stay healthy and the likely impact of drugs, alcohol and smoking on the maintenance of health and well-being. However, it became clear that yr6 pupils in particular were overtly conscious of the likely future impact of older pupils on their ability to stay drug free on transferring to Secondary school. This study indicates that whilst interventions at primary school level can achieve valued objectives at the level of knowledge and understanding, the maintenance of these acquired dispositions into adolescence is unlikely in the absence of continuing programmes of education and support on a long-term basis. Interpreting what 10 year olds say, such programmes should enable individual children to acquire strategies of personal empowerment and support their intention to adopt a healthy lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substance abuse is a major problem encountered by social workers in all settings. This study investigated the impact of a post- master's program in the treatment of substance-abusing clients on the domains of "Attitudes and Values," "Knowledge and Skills," and "Behaviors" of its graduates. Overall, 91 percent of respondents found the program to be professionally beneficial to them. Significant increases were shown on all items in the Knowledge and Skills Scale and the - Behavior Scale. Among the greatest changes reflected in the Attitudes and Values Scale were increases in respondents' desire to add substance-abusing clients to their caseloads, their belief for good recovery prognosis, and their comfort level in being considered a substance abuse specialist. The results of this study indicate that completion of a comprehensive, long-term substance abuse training program not only increases clinicians' knowledge about substance abuse issues, but also impacts positively on their attitudes and behavior toward substance-abusing clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prescription drug abuse is an enormous problem in modern society. Studies have shown that it results in more injuries and deaths to Americans than all illegal drugs combined. In this review, the author discusses the prescribing of controlled substances by residents as it relates to intercollegial and other non-patient workplace encounters. Physician drug abuse, medical/legal issues regarding controlled substance prescriptions, and ethical conflicts will be discussed. These issues will be specifically addressed as they relate to the academic institutions where residents can potentially be placed in a moral, ethical and legal dilemma by supervisors and co-workers. Finally, a recommendation for an institutional policy will be suggested to help residents and other physicians recognize and deal with drug seeking behavior by coworkers. Also, a recommendation regarding strict institutional regulation of resident prescription practices regarding controlled substances will be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This brief comment on Anderson and Baumberg's (2006) review of alcohol in Europe looks at this report from an Irish perspective, with a view to assessing its impact on the alcohol policy debate which has been a feature of Irish society over the past decade. It is argued that the review's empirical data and their accompanying policy recommendations are already broadly familiar to Irish stakeholders in the alcohol policy process, but that the provenance of this report---which has been prepared for the European Commission—creates further potential to tip the balance of Irish alcohol policy in the public health direction espoused by its authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To explore, in-depth, substance misuse nurses’ roles in assessment and decision making, the relative role of the client, the nurse and others in this process and to consider policy implications.Methods: Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with a sample of substance misuse nurses managing individuals with drug problems across Scotland (n = 29). The sample was identified from respondents to a questionnaire distributed to all substance misuse nurses in a linked study. Interviewees were purposively sampled to cover a range of gender, years’ experience, attitudes and NHS area. Twenty-nine interviews were conducted across six areas. Interviews focused on assessment and treatment decision making. Thematic Analysis was undertaken.Findings: Nurses’ descriptions of assessment and decision making reflected a client-centred approach with clients being the main influence in decision making. Protocols and guidelines provided an evidence-based background and nurses occasionally have to manage conflict between the client's objectives of treatment and the evidence. Other professionals were consulted for complicated cases. Additional policy issues included the time between assessment and implementing treatment.Conclusions. Nurses demonstrated professional autonomy in treatment decision making. A model of consultation described in general medical literature as an ‘evidence-based, patient-choice consultation’ (Ford, Schofield, & Hope, 2003) was practised. Ongoing legislative changes to extend nurse prescribing to substance misuse would legitimize current practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To identify the proportion of drug users contacting drug treatment services in Scotland who were able to become abstinent 33 months after having started a new episode of treatment and to identify which services were most closely associated with such abstinence. Design: Follow-up survey of 695 of the Drug Outcome Research in Scotland respondents 33 months following recruitment into the study. Setting: Scotland. Participants: Injecting drug users who were initially contacted at drug treatment services and then followed up for 33 months post-recruitment. Measurements: Self-reported drug use and service usage. Findings: Although becoming drug free was the expressed goal of the majority of drug users recruited into the Drug Outcome Research in Scotland study, at 33 months following recruitment only 5.9% of females and 9.0% of males had been totally drug free (excluding possible alcohol and tobacco use) for a 90-day period in advance of being interviewed. There was considerable variation within this study in the proportion of drug users becoming drug free dependent upon the services they had been in contact with. The level of achieved abstinence in this Scottish study was substantially lower than that identified in the National Treatment Outcomes Research Study in England. Conclusions: There is a need to establish why so few drug users in contact with the methadone programme in Scotland appear able to become drug free 33 months after having contacted this service. On the basis of the results presented in this paper there is a need to ensure that drug users seeking help in becoming drug free are able to access residential rehabilitation services although at the present time such services are relatively rare within Scotland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compared a Motivational Interviewing in- spired group intervention with standard care in naturalistic alcohol/other drug abuse samples. A community-recruited alcohol/other drug abuse or dependent sample (N = 67) was provided up to four sessions of group-adapted Motivational Interviewing (GAMI). Newly admitted patients (N = 64) in two multimodal treatment settings were also recruited. Quasi-experimental comparison of outcomes from GAMI versus real-world standard care (SC) indicated significant within-group improvement on all main outcomes in both groups. SC was associated with significantly more abstinence days, and better family and social outcomes at six-month posttreatment compared to GAMI. Differences in reductions in alcohol or drug-related dysfunction were not detected. Thus, group-delivered MI intervention was associated with significant improvements in alcohol/other drug use outcomes. However, consideration of group-delivered MI as a replacement for more intensive standard care is, for the moment, uncertain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescent American Indians and Alaska Natives are a diverse and heterogeneous population with significant social, psycho- logical, and substance use risk factors. This paper reviews the adolescent research to date that has examined the overlap between alcohol/other drug abuse/dependence, mental disorders, and psychiatric symptoms. In the few studies that have been completed there has been significant over- lap. No national studies have been done, but there are scattered local and tribal reports. Of the studies that were surveyed, many of them report a significant co-morbidity of alcohol/other drug abuse/dependence with affective and disruptive disorders (ADHD, conduct, oppositional defiant). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A great deal of progress has been made in identifying explanations for the links between drug use and crime. However, less progress has been made in the application of these explanations. In particular, less is known about whether some explanations are more common than others, whether some are linked to certain conditions, whether some apply only to certain individuals, and whether some apply only to certain kinds of drug use and crime. In this article, we investigate the extent to which explanations for the connection between drug misuse and crime vary by type of drug user, type of drug use and type of crime by looking at users' own accounts of the connection. The research is based on data collected as part of the New English and Welsh Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (NEW-ADAM) program conducted in 16 custody suites in England and Wales. The analysis investigates the proportion of drug users who believe that there is a connection and looks at variations in accounts of the connection by individual and behavioral factors. The implications for government policy designed to reduce drug-related crime are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies have highlighted risk factors that cause HIV vulnerability among injection drug users (IDUs); these studies in turn have prompted public health officials to take action to minimize these risks. We sought to evaluate the potential association between binge drug use and HIV seroconversion and, subsequently, risk factors associated with binge drug use among a cohort of IDUs. To do this, we performed analyses of (1) associations with HIV seroconversion and (2) associations with binge drug use among participants enrolled in the Vancouver Injection Drug Users Study (VIDUS), a prospective cohort of IDU. Because serial measures for each individual were available, we undertook a time-updated Cox regression analysis to detect associations with HIV incidence and variables potentially associated with binge drug use were evaluated by using generalized estimating equations (GEE). Overall, 1548 IDU were enrolled into the VIDUS cohort between May 1996 and May 2003. There were 1013 individuals who were HIV seronegative at enrollment and had at least one follow-up visit; 125 (12%) became HIV positive during the study period for a cumulative incidence rate of 14% at 64 months after enrollment. In the final multivariate model, binge drug use [Adjusted Hazards Ratio: 1.61 (CI: 1.12, 2.31)] was independently associated with HIV seroconversion. In subanalyses, when we evaluated associations with binge drug use in GEE analyses, borrowing [Odds Ratio (OR): 153 (CI: 1.33-1.76)] and lending [OR: 1.73 (CI: 1.50-1.98)] syringes, sex trade work [OR: 1.14 (CI: 1.01-1.29)], frequent cocaine [OR: 2.34 (CI: 2.11-2.60)] and heroin [OR: 1.29 (CI: 1.17-1.43)] injection were independently associated with binge drug use and methadone [OR: 0.80 (CI: 0.71-0.89)] was protective against binge drug use. Our study identified an independent association between binge drug use and HIV incidence and demonstrated several high-risk drug practices associated with bingeing. Given the unaddressed public health risks associated with bingeing, a public health response protocol must be developed to minimize the personal and public health risks associated with the binge use of drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religious support systems offer much promise for collaborative interventions with alcohol and other drug abuse organizations. This article presents a case study of an asset assessment of eleven Puerto Rican Pentecostal churches in a New England community and the alcohol and other drug abuse and other types of services provided to the community. A set of recommendations will be presented for the development of agency collaborative projects/activity with this important Puerto Rican natural support system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Two previous studies have demonstrated the parlous state of undergraduate medical education. A third study was undertaken to evaluate any change. Methodology: All deans, heads of psychiatry and addiction specialists working in 28 British medical schools were surveyed by questionnaire. Items included time allocated to formal training, clinical resources, training objectives, professional confidence and competence, postgraduate facilities, plans for change, opinion on the importance of addiction in the curriculum, and scientific credibility. Findings: There was a 100%, 71% and 46% response rate from specialists, heads, and deans respectively. Medical students were receiving, on average, six hours of formal training in substance misuse over their entire course. Although there was disparity in responses between the three groups, there was a clear consensus that the addiction field had scientific credibility. However, this achievement has not been translated into more training, and there is pessimism about any likelihood of change. Discussion: Barriers to training such as too few addiction specialists, stigma, and tensions in academia resulting from the Research Assessment Exercise, are identified. Conclusion: Since the General Medical Council and the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy have explicitly stated the need for undergraduate training, ways in which medical students, as 'users' of the undergraduate training package, may be the drivers of change, are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2002 the Bergen Clinics Foundation established Føre Var, a citywide 'earlier warning' system geared towards the identification, monitoring and reporting of drug and alcohol trends in the city of Bergen, Norway, on a six-monthly basis. The primary goal for the system was the dissemination of earlier, more reliable information on new and emerging trends to enable timely and more effective interventions by policy makers and practitioners in the drug and alcohol field. The Føre Var system triangulates and cross-references a wide range of statistical and quantitative data including seizures data, treatment figures, alcohol sales and a school survey, with information from a number of 'leading edge' or sensitive data sources, including Internet sites, youth and local media, cultural mapping and key informants. Data is collected from sources every six months, analysed for identifiable patterns and trends and disseminated widely. This paper details the system's developmental stages and methodologies, in addition to summarizing results from the first three Føre Var reports. In conclusion, the strengths and weaknesses of the model, its replicability as well as the potential advantages of a city-level network are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a global project of self-determination and cultural revitalization, indigenous peoples are demanding recognition of distinct values, traditions and experiences in the design and delivery of health and social programs. Within the addictions field in southern Australia and northern Aotearoa/New Zealand, alternative approaches to education and training initiatives, informed by and inclusive of indigenous paradigms, are emerging in response to hegemonies of power, knowledge and practice. Questioning received understandings about the etiology and resolution of addictive behaviours, emergent discourses draw attention to the roles of colonialism, neo-colonialism, and cultural oppression in addiction and recovery. Moreover, although supported by social and virtual networks, emergent discourses are complicated-at times, fractured-by vigorous debate surrounding critical issues and complex identity positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bstract Evaluations of drug treatment services are essential for the development and funding of future provision. This paper seeks to fill a gap in the existing literature by comparing community and prison-based drug services in terms of a range of factors that are important in assessing drug treatment effectiveness. Data were collected as part of the Drug Outcome Research in Scotland (DORIS) study. Over a period of approximately eight months, two structured questionnaires were administered to 716 drug users. At the first interview, 487 respondents (68%) were beginning community drug treatment and 229 (32%) were starting prison drug treatment. Analyses compared the two groups in terms of characteristics at treatment entry ('inputs'); treatment services received ('processes'); and characteristics at eight-month follow-up ('outcomes'). Consistent with previous research, the findings provide evidence that--at least in the short term--drug treatments work. However, the clients of community drug agencies experienced greater improvements than the clients of prison-based services. The former received a broader range of support than their imprisoned counterparts and rated the assistance that they received significantly more positively. It is concluded that prison services in Scotland are making efforts to assist their drug-using inmates, but greater access to a wider range of prison drug treatments and efforts to improve prison clients' perceptions of the help they receive are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Talks about community initiatives in response to drug abuse in Sweden and its comparison with Great Britain. Voluntary youth patrols and projects for crime prevention; Existence of incentive schemes for reporting drug dealers to the police; Diversity of community action and local safety projects.

A bstract A survey of drug use in the past year was completed by 124 clubbers (50% male, 50% female, age range 14-44, mean 24 years). Participants were self selecting and recruited in clubs and pre-club bars. Prevalence rates for alcohol, cannabis, and ecstasy were over 80%; 63% reported cocaine and 53% amphetamine use, 15%-43% used ketamine, psilocybin, LSD and nitrites. A pattern of polydrug and co-drug use was identified. Most participants (70%) bought their drugs through friendship/family networks. Main reasons given for drug use were relaxing, socializing and dancing. Risk behaviours identified were drug driving (19%), unprotected sex (39%); and 'taking too many drugs' (44%). At least 40% reported anxiety, nausea and paranoia. Three focus groups aided the interpretation of data, for example describing the strategic use of drugs and alcohol throughout a night and explaining how negative experiences may change, but not necessarily stop, drug use. The study provides further evidence that there is a characteristic pattern of dance-drug use, while identifying an increase in cocaine and alcohol use. Older participants' greater experience with cocaine and fewer negative drug-related experiences are discussed in relation to health promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While most addiction education studies programs address treatment, little attention is given to disability policy matters. This article outlines suggestions for the inclusion of such material at the university level. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]