Search

Abstract: Background: In an effort to increase effective intervention following opioid overdose, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) has implemented programs where bystanders are given brief education in recognizing the signs of opioid overdose and how to provide intervention, including the use of naloxone. The current study sought to assess the ability of NYSDOH training to increase accurate identification of opioid and non-opioid overdose, and naloxone use among heroin users. Methods: Eighty-four participants completed a test on overdose knowledge comprised of 16 putative overdose scenarios. Forty-four individuals completed the questionnaire immediately prior to and following standard overdose prevention training. A control group (n =40), who opted out of training, completed the questionnaire just once. Results: Overdose training significantly increased participants’ ability to accurately identify opioid overdose (p <0.05), and scenarios where naloxone administration was indicated (p <0.05). Training did not alter recognition of non-opioid overdose or non-overdose situations where naloxone should not be administered. Conclusions: The data indicate that overdose prevention training improves participants’ knowledge of opioid overdose and naloxone use, but naloxone may be administered in some situations where it is not warranted. Training curriculum could be improved by teaching individuals to recognize symptoms of non-opioid drug over-intoxication. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article offers information on a study which explores the perception of students on illegal drugs and the importance of drug education.

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]

Abstract: Background: This study investigated circumstances of initiating new-type drug use among adult new-type drug users and differences among those who first used methamphetamine, ecstasy and ketamine. Methods: A total of 276 participants were recruited, using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) from nine seeds recruited through NGOs, social workers and outreach workers in Shanghai, China. Results: Methamphetamine was the most frequently reported first new-type drug used (37.1%), followed by ecstasy (35.6%) and ketamine (20.0%). 38.7% of participants initiated new-type drug use before the age of 21 years. 47.8% knew at initiation that club drugs can be harmful. Most were introduced to new-type drug use by friends, spouses or boy/girlfriends. The three most common reasons for initiation were curiosity, peer influence, and wishing to dull one's emotions. Those first using methamphetamine were more likely to be female, have a monthly individual income less than 3000 Yuan (approx. $476), initiate use at 21 years or older and at private setting than those first using ecstasy and ketamine. Conclusions: There is an urgent need for drug education efforts in China to raise awareness of the harms of new-type drugs, as well as to increase knowledge about the paradox of new-type drug effects. Drug prevention and intervention programs should be tailore to target populations and their social context. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Drug education (ANT) in Swedish schools has a history over decades. Here, the pedagogi-cal approaches fluctuated between transfer of solid knowledge from the teacher to the pupil, and working with values and have a more pupil-driven teaching - a classic dichotomy. Rhe-toric about the school's way of teaching has thus always been ambivalent and subject to re-examination. The study analyses various textual material on ANT education. As a methodo-logical tool Billigs concept Ideological dilemmas is used, which is a fruitful way to identify the rhetorical building blocks of (school) politics, but also to analyse political talk in more detail. The article analyses the ideological dilemmas under three dichotomies: Knowledge vs. values, teacher control vs. learner control, and prevention vs. promotion. Throughout we can see this question of how teaching could be successful, given the tension between autho-rity and democracy. The article concludes by relating this basic ideological dilemma in a wi-der discursive context of governance in our time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which used the Researched Abuse Diversion and Addiction-Related Surveillance (RADARS) System, a system of programs that monitors drug abuse across addiction disorders, to analyzed the health effects of adolescent prescription drug abuse. According to the authors, the study revealed that adolescents' misuse of prescription drugs leads to increased cases of hospitalizations while the authors recommend improving interventions and educational programs.

Copyright of Pedagogía Social is the property of Pedagogia Social 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.)

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 aim of this study was to determine factors causing delay in tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment in Croatia. It included 240 adults with pulmonary tuberculosis, who were interviewed for demographics, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and personal health data. Total delay was defined as a number of days from the onset of symptoms to the initiation of therapy. The median and the 75th percentile of the total delay were 68 and 120 days, respectively: 16.7 % of the patients initiated treatment within the first month, 23.8 % within the second month, 23.3 % within the third month, 12.9 % within the fourth month, and 23.3 % more than four months after the symptoms appeared. Long delay (exceeding median delay) was strongly associated with drug abuse (p=0.021). Extreme delay (75th percentile of delay) was significantly associated with the lowest level of education (p=0.021), below minimal income (p=0.039), minimal to average income (p=0.020), current smoking (p=0.050), and co-morbidity (p=0.048). In the multivariate model, long delay remained associated with drug abuse, while extreme delay was associated with the lowest level of education (p=0.033 ) and current (p=0.017) and ex-smoking (p=0.045). In a setting with decreasing TB incidence, the reported delay can be reduced by increasing health education, not only about tuberculosis per se, but about health in general and attitudes towards prevention and early care. It is also important to increase tuberculosis knowledge among healthcare workers as well as their diagnostic skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Although non-adherence with the antipsychotic medication regimen is a common barrier to the effective treatment for schizophrenia, knowledge is limited about how to improve medication adherence in short term hospitalization of psychiatric patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the "Medication Management Module" of "Social Skills Training Programme" in short term hospitalization of psychiatric patients. Methods: The study included eight patients using antipsychotic medicine who had been admitted to the inpatient psychiatry unit in a university hospital. No control group was chosen in this one-group pre-post test quasi-experimental design study. The "Medication Management Module" of "Social Skills Training Programme" was modified and applied to the participants over seven days as daily, one-hour group sessions. In the first session, the group was formed and pre-tests and data collection tools were applied. In sessions two through seven, the following themes were discussed and posttests were applied: "Treatment with Antipsychotic Medicine," "Learning the Side Effects of Antipsychotics," and "Assessing the Treatment." The data was collected using guidelines of the "Social Skills Training Programme" to assess the effectiveness of the education given within the "Medication Management Module". Results: Among the eight patients, five were under the age of 27 and had graduated from high school, seven were married, and one had a family member diagnosed with a psychotic disorder. None were educated about the medications before the module. The mean pretest scores of participants (14.8±2.2) were significantly higher when compared with that of posttest scores (18.0±1.1) (p=0.01). The increase in mean score indicates that education increased the level of knowledge. During the program, patients discussed psychosis, the effects of antipsychotic medication, and compliance with medication times. A list of medication side effects and contact details of physicians were given to the patients. Patients showed improved ability to state problems related to medication. Conclusion: The application of "Medication Management Module" of "Social Skills Training Programme" in short term hospitalization of psychiatric patient using antipsychotic medicine is effective in improving knowledge and use of medication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discussed topics in the issue which includes antidrug abuse education in Islam, use of internet in Islamic issues and educational research.

The article discusses a study protocol which is an extention of an earlier Australian harm reduction education research conducted by analyzing prevention effects of a single program for both licit and illicit drugs. It has been informed that study would help in providing comprehensive drug education package for student with prevention characteristics and useability.

For many years, it has been suggested that drugs that interfere with dopamine (DA) transmission alter the "rewarding" impact of primary reinforcers such as food. Research and theory related to the functions of mesolimbic DA are undergoing a substantial conceptual restructuring, with the traditional emphasis on hedonia and primary reward yielding to other concepts and lines of inquiry. The present review is focused upon the involvement of nucleus accumbens DA in effort-related choice behavior. Viewed from the framework of behavioral economics, the effects of accumbens DA depletions and antagonism on food-reinforced behavior are highly dependent upon the work requirements of the instrumental task, and DA-depleted rats show a heightened sensitivity to response costs, especially ratio requirements. Moreover, interference with accumbens DA transmission exerts a powerful influence over effort-related choice behavior. Rats with accumbens DA depletions or antagonism reallocate their instrumental behavior away from food-reinforced tasks that have high response requirements, and show increased selection of low reinforcement/low cost options. Nucleus accumbens DA and adenosine interact in the regulation of effort-related functions, and other brain structures (anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, ventral pallidum) also are involved. Studies of the brain systems regulating effortbased processes may have implications for understanding drug abuse, as well as symptoms such as psychomotor slowing, fatigue or anergia in depression and other neurological disorders. [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]

Background: There are several populations considered to be undersevered in the United States, especially in rural and disadvantaged areas, where health services and resources are limited and geographically dispersed. To combat these issues, federal and state governments have developed 2-1-1 Texas, a toll-free public resource for information retrieval and referral to health services (e.g., food, housing, employment, healthcare, counseling). Objective: To assess awareness and utilization of the 2-1-1 Texas service on a large university campus in Texas. Methods: Members of a university-sanctioned student organization distributed promotional items to tailgating fans before a college football game between two Texas teams. Members approached fans to inquire if they had ever heard of or used 2-1-1 Texas, recorded individuals' answers, and asked pre-determined follow-up questions based on a decision tree. Members also educated fans about 2-1-1 Texas and its associated benefi ts. Results: A total of 890 fans provided responses. Eighty-eight percent (n=783) of respondents reported they had never heard of 2-1-1 Texas. Of those who were aware of 2-1-1 Texas (12.0%, n=107), 15.9% (n=17) reported having called in the past. Some of the reported reasons for calling 2-1-1 Texas included seeking information about childcare services, recycling locations, drug education, hurricane relief, and free dental and healthcare clinics. Conclusions: Findings indicate those needing health-related assistance may be unaware of the existence of free or inexpensive services. Despite the widespread availability of 2-1-1 Texas, additional marketing, awareness-raising, and educational events are needed to inform Texas residents about this and other related services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on a study conducted on the reliability and validity of the Adapted Coping Operations Preference Enquiry (COPE) Scale with deaf college students. It states that deaf adults feel isolated due to limitations in communication, sense of being different and missing information. It mentions that deaf individuals may be at a risk for abusing substances, due to educational difficulties, less social support and lack of correct drug education.

Lithium (Li) salts have been widely used in psychiatry as mood stabilizing agents for 60 years. Li found in variable amounts in foods, especially grains, vegetables, and in some areas, the drinking water provides a significant source of the element. Therefore, dietary intake in humans depends on location, type of foods consumed, and fluid intake. Traces of Li have been detected in human organs and tissues, leading speculation that the element was responsible for specific functions in the human body. It was not until the 20th century that studies performed in the 1970's and 1990's, primarily in rats and goats, maintained on Li-deficient diets demonstrated higher mortality, altered reproductive and behavioral abnormalities. Such deficiencies have not been detected in humans; however, studies performed on populations living in areas with low Li levels in water supplies have been associated with higher rates of suicides, homicides, and the arrests rate for drug abuse and other crimes. Li appears to play a significant role in early fetal development as evidenced by high Li levels during the early gestational period. Biochemically, the mechanism of Li action involves multifactor and interconnected pathways with enzymes, hormones, vitamins, and growth and transforming factors. This body of evidence now appears sufficient to label Li as an essential element with the recommended RDA for a 70 kg adult of 1000 mg/day. Of extreme importance for the future is the growing body of evidence indicating Li can be used effectively for the treatment of acute brain injuries, e.g., ischemia and chronic neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Tauopathies, and Huntington's disease. This conclusion is based upon evidence showing Li as important in neurogenesis as well as protecting neurons from neurotoxicity. Li influences stem cells, both neuronal and marrow derived, thus additional therapeutic implications for this element in clinical medicine to treat disorders associated with the faulty production of blood and nerve cells or as a tool to enhance blood stem cell mobilization for transplantation. [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]

Throughout the scientific literature shows that studies evaluating the effectiveness of school-based substance abuse prevention programs have used a wide range of intervention agents. Nevertheless, in Spain, the school-based programs in daily practice, the vast majority, are applied only by regular classroom teachers of schools. In this regard, some research suggests that the variable type of applicator affects the effectiveness of school-based programs for drug prevention. This article presents a review of studies comparing the results obtained in the school-based programs when applied by regular classroom teachers to other external contributors. Taken together, the results of the reviewed studies are contradictory and, therefore, the evidence is not conclusive. However, it highlights the moderating role of the variable type of monitor on the effects of programs. Finally, it is recommended to lead studies to evaluate the specific characteristics or skills that must have an effective monitor as the training can contribute to its acquisition or improvement. [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]

Abstract: Background: Despite concerns regarding youth drug use and ‘standards’ of drugs education in British schools, little is known about young people''s routine experiences of drugs education at school, or schools’ other priorities, policies and practices relating to drugs. Methods: Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with students aged 14–15 (N =50) and teachers (N =10) at four schools in England. We used thematic content analysis to explore: young people''s accounts of drugs education at secondary school and what they have learnt from this; and students’ and teachers’ accounts of schools’ wider policies and practices relating to drugs. Results: A recurring theme was that students reported having received little or no drugs education; the majority could not remember having had any at their secondary school. These students were not the ‘drugwise’ youth described in the normalisation thesis and young people wanted their school to provide them with more information. Teachers recognised that schools’ drugs policies were rarely implemented in practice and that drugs education was not a priority. Schools also appear to be adopting new strategies based on surveillance and targeting to control students’ drug use. In some cases referrals to a drugs counsellor were coercive and appeared to merely replace classroom-based drugs education. Conclusion: This study provides further evidence of the gap between drug policies and practice. It may be possible to increase the priority given to comprehensive drugs education and supportive drugs policies by modifying the incentive structures that schools work within. New targeted responses are unlikely to be effective at reducing drug-related harm at a population level because of the small number of students reached, and can be stigmatising. Further research is needed to explore schools’ focus on surveillance and targeted control rather than universal education, and to examine interventions that might ensure schools implement adequate drugs education. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aim Substance use by young people has long been a concern of western society, but opinion is mixed as to which prevention approach offers the greatest benefit, and whether indeed there is any benefit at all. This paper reviews the nature of prevention programmes, the research evidence that underpins these programmes and the prevention objectives against which effectiveness is measured. The aim of this is to create better understanding of the elements that maximize programme effectiveness, what can be achieved by prevention programmes and how programmes can be improved. Findings There is a range of prevention approaches for which there is evidence of effectiveness. Some are classroom-based; some focus upon parenting; some have substantial whole-of-school and community elements; and some target risk and protective factors in early childhood. All, however, are based substantially on the social influence model. In an attempt to improve practice lists of effective programmes have been developed, but there are concerns about the science behind selection. On balance, there is consistent evidence that social influence prevention programmes do have a small, positive effect on drug use, but this then raises the question as to whether harm, rather than use, would be the more worthwhile target for prevention. Prevention that seeks to reduce harm has been demonstrably effective, but has found little support in some jurisdictions. Conclusion Research has created a progressively better understanding of how to optimize programme effectiveness and what can be achieved realistically by even the most effective programmes. However, further research is required to identify which, if any, particular approach offers greater promise. The effectiveness of harm reduction should be compared with more traditional abstinence and the additional effects of whole of school, parent and community elements need to be measured more accurately. Contemporary social influence prevention programmes are flawed, but the approach is still the best way of influencing drug use behaviour in young people as a whole. Evidence-based refinement is the best option for greater benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which evaluated the brief intervention training which helps in reducing alcohol abuse by automating individualized coaching and role-play practice. Comparison of STAR Workshop and a web-based, self-guided electronic book for training the Engage for Change (E4C) brief intervention protocol. Results indicated that STAR Workshop is more accessible and cost-effective for students.

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]

The article offers information on the Chapter 266 of California Legislature regarding the prevention and reduction of inhalant abuse among young children by prohibiting the sale or distribution of products that contain nitrous oxide to minors. It states that the legal basis of Chapter 266 is the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) that regulates the use, possession, and other distribution of many types of drugs and other substances. It notes that California Legislatures has acknowledged the dangers associated with inhalant abuse that is why section 381 of the Penal Code was enacted. It presents the legal limitations of Chapter 266. It suggests having an education program to the children about the harmful effects of the inhalant abuse to answer the shortcomings of the law.

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]

Concern about the knowledge on awareness of warnings and adverse effects regarding drugs is a must and essential for a safe health care practice. Drug alert activity aims to ensure that the future health care professionals are more vigilant to prescribe drugs keeping the respective cautions in tile mind. The paper presents the detaiIs about novel services started at Pramukhswami Medical College (PSMC), India [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the author reflects on the use of the data collection tool photovoice, sometimes referred to as photo novella, in alcohol and drug education. Photovoice can be used by disadvantaged groups to record their experiences, conduct community needs assessments, promote community dialogue and promote change through education.

Little is known about the trajectories over time of classroom teachers’ fidelity to drug prevention curricula. Using the “Concerns-Based Adoption Model” (C-BAM) as a theoretical framework, we hypothesized that teachers’ fidelity would improve with repetition. Participants comprised 23 middle school teachers who videotaped their administration of three entire iterations of the All Stars curriculum. Investigators coded two key curriculum lessons, specifically assessing the proportion of activities of each lesson teachers attempted and whether they omitted, added, or changed prescribed content, or delivered it using new methods. Study findings provided only partial support for the C-BAM model. Considerable variability in teachers’ performance over time was noted, suggesting that their progression over time may be nonlinear and dynamic, and quite possibly a function of their classroom and school contexts. There was also evidence that, by their third iteration of All Stars, teachers tended to regress toward the baseline mean. That is, the implementation quality of those that started out with high levels of fidelity tended to degrade, while those that started out with very low fidelity to the curriculum tended to improve. Study findings suggest the need for ongoing training and technical assistance, as well as “just in time” messages delivered electronically; but it is also possible that some prevention curricula may impose unrealistic expectations or burdens on teachers’ abilities and classroom time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Risk perception, perceived behavioral control of obtaining ecstasy (PBC-obtaining), current ecstasy dependence, and recent depression have been associated with past ecstasy use, however, their utility in predicting ecstasy use has not been demonstrated. This study aimed to determine whether these four modifiable risk factors could predict ecstasy use after controlling for socio-demographic covariates and recent polydrug use. Data from 601 ecstasy users in the National Institute on Drug Abuse-funded TriCity Study of Club Drug Use, Abuse and Dependence were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. Participants were interviewed twice within a 2-week period using standardized instruments. Thirteen percent (n =80) of the participants reported using ecstasy between the two interviews. Low risk perception, high PBC-obtaining (an estimated ecstasy procurement time <24h), and current ecstasy dependence were statistically associated with ecstasy use between the two interviews. Recent depression was not a significant predictor. Despite not being a target predictor, recent polydrug use was also statistically associated with ecstasy use. The present findings may inform the development of interventions targeting ecstasy users. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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.

In the Fall of 2004, 1,948 5th grade students from Phoenix, AZ enrolled in an evaluation of a school-based, substance use prevention intervention. To assess the consistency of Mexican and Mexican-American students' self-reports of lifetime substance use, the present study analyzed data reported by 1,418 students who reported Mexican ancestry and completed 2 to 6 questionnaires administered over a 40-month period. By wave 6, which was completed in March 2008, lifetime alcohol, cigarette, marijuana, and inhalant use rates were 86.0%, 65.0%, 64.5%, and 62.1%, respectively. Corresponding rescission rates were 24.0%, 9.6%, 5.8%, and 9.2%. Reporting patterns with one "Yes-No" sequence accounted for more than 88% of the inconsistent self-reports. This finding suggests that the majority of Mexican/Mexican-American preadolescents participating in a substance use prevention intervention provided logically consistent self-reports of lifetime substance use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a process in which program designers, classroom teachers, and students worked together to adapt the 7th grade "keepin' it REAL" prevention curriculum to a developmentally, socially, and academically appropriate curriculum for 5th graders. A Community-Based Participatory Research methodology (CBPR), combined with a 9-step adaptation model, emphasized a collaborative approach, both transformative and empowering. Essential adaptation elements were the Risk-to-Resiliency Continuum; the teaching of a wide range of skills including risk assessment, decision making, and resistance strategies; and, maintaining the theoretical grounding of Narrative Theory, Communication Competence, and Focus Theory of Norms. This paper describes how CBPR methodology can be conducted successfully while focusing on sustained theoretical grounding and effective research practices in a school-based setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schools have been identified as one of the appropriate settings for addiction prevention since this is the place where pupils may come into contact with drugs for the first time and experiment with them, with the possibility of becoming addicted. To be effective, school-based drug education must be firmly based on knowledge of oneself and knowledge of the effects of various addictive substances. Biology education is then an essential part of school-based drug education. The aim of this work was to compare the approach taken towards addictive substances in textbooks within 16 countries involved in the European project BIOHEAD-CITIZEN. We used a specific part of the project grid for substance abuse (alcohol, tobacco and other drugs) and focussed on three major indicators: physical effects, psychological effects and social effects. Generally, in all 16 countries, the educative approaches taken in their textbooks include the three dimensions. Textbooks mainly employ text rather than visual images, and some countries' textbooks have only text. Moroccan and Mozambican textbooks do not mention tobacco and other drugs, respectively. The comparative analyses highlighted that the Finnish textbook is the most comprehensive; the only one, in the study, to have a specific Health Education teaching module. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author comments on the article by Hilde Pape which is said to question evidence about school-based alcohol and drug education. He argues that the failure of the school to implement a program correctly does not mean that the program is useless or cannot be recommended. Pape is said to suggest that interventions that are of poor quality should be replaced with information campaigns. He believes that Norway is just starting to develop science-based prevention programs.

The National Institute of Drug Abuse has promoted drug abuse research in the past two decades focusing on women and gender differences. One hundred twenty-eight Hispanic and White women have participated in this comparative descriptive study that has examined the differences between chemically dependent (CD) women in recovery and non-chemically dependent (non-CD) women in regard to resilience and self-differentiation-demographic variables associated with resilience and self-differentiation and recovery variables associated with resilience and self-differentiation in the CD women. Findings indicate that the CD women and Hispanic women have scored significantly lower on measures of resilience and self-differentiation. Among the recovery variables, resilience and self-differentiation are significant for children support but community support is not significant. The finding that Hispanic and White women in recovery score lower on resilience and self-differentiation is important for designing treatment strategies supportive of women in recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Abstract: Introduction: Although DSM-IV criteria are widely used in making diagnoses of substance use disorders, gaps exist regarding diagnosis classification, use of dependence criteria, and effects of measurement bias on diagnosis assessment. We examined the construct and measurement equivalence of diagnostic criteria for cocaine and opioid dependences, including whether each criterion maps onto the dependence construct, how well each criterion performs, how much information each contributes to a diagnosis, and whether symptom-endorsing is equivalent between demographic groups. Methods: Item response theory (IRT) and multiple indicators–multiple causes (MIMIC) modeling were performed on a sample of stimulant-using methadone maintenance patients enrolled in a multisite study of the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) (N =383). Participants were recruited from six community-based methadone maintenance treatment programs associated with the CTN and major U.S. providers. Cocaine and opioid dependences were assessed by DSM-IV Checklist. Results: IRT modeling showed that symptoms of cocaine and opioid dependences, respectively, were arrayed along a continuum of severity. All symptoms had moderate to high discrimination in distinguishing drug users between severity levels. “Withdrawal” identified the most severe symptom of the cocaine dependence continuum. MIMIC modeling revealed some support for measurement equivalence. Conclusions: Study results suggest that self-reported symptoms of cocaine and opioid dependences and their underlying constructs can be measured appropriately among treatment-seeking polysubstance users. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Replacement therapy with the synthetic μ-opioid agonist methadone is an efficacious treatment for opioid abuse. While much is known about methadone''s pharmacology, its discriminative stimulus properties remain largely unexplored. The present study sought to establish methadone discrimination in rats. Moreover, some research suggests that route of administration alters the discriminative stimulus of methadone. Thus, the present study also compared intraperitoneal (i.p.) and subcutaneous (s.c.) routes of administration. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were trained to discriminate 3.0mg/kg methadone (i.p.) from vehicle in a two-lever discrimination procedure. Generalization tests were conducted with a variety of compounds administered i.p. and s.c. Methadone fully substituted for itself, yielding ED50s of 1.5mg/kg (i.p.) and 0.2mg/kg (s.c.). Naltrexone (i.p.), an opioid antagonist produced a dose-dependent reduction in methadone-appropriate responding. The methadone stereoisomers fully substituted for methadone when given s.c.; however, when administered i.p., (+) and (−) methadone produced partial and no substitution, respectively. Heroin fully generalized to methadone regardless of administration route, while morphine fully substituted when given s.c., but not i.p. The kappa-agonist U50-488 failed to generalize to methadone with either route of administration. These results demonstrated that methadone''s discriminative stimulus is mediated through μ-opioid receptor activity and is similar to that of commonly abused opioids (heroin, morphine). Additionally, route of administration produced differential results for many of the drugs tested, suggesting decreased drug bioavailability following i.p. administration due to hepatic first pass metabolism. Taken together, these results suggest that methadone''s shared subjective effects with abused opioids, as well as its unique metabolic properties contribute to its efficacy in opioid maintenance therapy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The study focuses on the serious issue related to the adolescents’ and adults’ behavior and health. It aims to identify the risk factors for drug abuse from samples taken from a town of Eastern Nepal. This is a matched case-control study. The conditional logistic regression method was adopted for data analysis. The diagnosis cut off was determined by Receiver Operating Characteristic curve. A representative sample of 150 matched pairs was recruited from Dharan in 2006. The final model after adjusting 17 possible variables each other, detected some factors like education, occupation, short temper, depression, etc that were significantly associated with drug abuse, but shy behavior was not a significant predictor for drug abuse among the study sample. The level of education, occupation and depression were the strong predictors as identified by the model. The findings of the study may have implications to aware families and schools in developing countries like Nepal. [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]

In this paper we report on findings from a qualitative study of marijuana use by adolescents in two communities in British Columbia, Canada. During 2005 and 2006, 45 interviews were carried out at schools with students aged 13–18, with an aim of understanding how adolescents perceive their experiences with marijuana to be shaped by gender. While it has been established that patterns of use differ for girls and boys, there is relatively little qualitative research addressing marijuana smoking as gendered social practice. Drawing from contemporary social theories of gender our analysis explores the normative functions of gender discourse within adolescents' narratives, situating their descriptions of marijuana use within the context of the research interview and within the social contexts of drug use. The results highlight the challenges we encountered in asking about gender during one-to-one interviews, juxtaposed with examples from the narratives that illustrate how boys and girls use marijuana as a way of “doing” gender. To conclude, we suggest how our findings can inform the design of gender-specific health messaging on adolescent marijuana use. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]