Publication#2007-08
…informationforprogram practitionersonsubstanceuse andonassessingsubstanceuse outcomesamongadolescents.
March2007
ASSESSINGSUBSTANCEUSEANDABUSEAMONGADOLESCENTS: AGUIDEFOROUT-OF-SCHOOLTIMEPROGRAM PRACTITIONERS
LaurieMartin,Sc.D., M.P.H.and Alyssa Milot, B.A.
BACKGROUND
Thisbriefdiscusses thesigns andsymptomsof alcoholanddrug use andprovidesrecommendationsto assess substanceuse amongyouthinyour program.Itisnotuncommonfor adolescentstoexperiment withdifferentsubstancessuch as alcoholor cigarettes,butthiscanleadtoheavyandcontinueduse, whichisdangerousandmayputtheirhealthatrisk.Additionally,individualswho drinkandsmokeare morelikelytoparticipateinotherrisky behaviors,includingusingotherdrugs or drivingafterdrinking. Adolescentsmayturntosubstanceuse when theyareunderstress athomeor atschool,or when their friendsaresmokingor drinking.
TOBACCO USE
Tobaccocanbeused intheformof cigarettes,cigars,pipes,or smokelesstobacco.Using tobaccoata young ageincreasestherisk of addictionandlaterhealthproblems.
ƒAbout one-quarterof highschoolstudentsreportedhavingsmokedacigarettebeforetheageof
13, andmorethanone-thirdof highschoolstudentsreportedsmokingcigarettesinthepast30 days.1
ƒTobaccouse has beenassociatedwithmanyhealthproblems,includingheartdiseaseand
cancer,2andistheleadingpreventablecauseof deathintheUnitedStates.3
ALCOHOL USE
Alcoholimpairsbothmentalandmotorfunctionsincludinghand-eyecoordination.4Itisparticularly harmfulsinceyouthcanconsumelargeamountsof alcoholquickly.
ƒFiftypercentof highschoolstudentssurveyedreportedtheyhadatleastonedrinkinthelast30
days, and31 percentreportedhavingup tofivedrinks on atleastoneoccasioninthepast30 days.1
ƒAlcoholpoisoningcanresultwhen largeamountsofalcoholareconsumedinashort periodof
time,leadingtoextremesleepiness,unconsciousness,difficultybreathing,dangerouslylow bloodsugar, seizures,anddeath.5
ƒConsequencesof heavyalcoholuse includememoryproblems,liverdisorders (such as hepatitis),
andcancer.6
ƒAbout one-thirdof highschoolstudentsand39 percentof collegestudentsreportedridingat
leastonceinthepastmonthwithadriverwho hadbeendrinkingalcohol.1
ƒThirteenpercentof highschoolstudentsand28 percentof collegestudentsreportedthat,oneor
moretimesduringthepastmonth,theythemselveshaddrivenavehicleafterdrinking.1
ILLICITDRUGUSE
Illicitdrugs aredrugs thatareillegaltopossess, sell,anduse. Morethan54 percentof highschool seniors reportevertryingsometypeofillicitdrug, such as marijuana,cocaine,heroin,Ecstasy, methamphetamine,hallucinogens,psychedelics,OxyContin,or steroids.7Thetwo mostcommonillicit drugs aremarijuanaandinhalants.
ƒMarijuanaisthemostcommonillicitdrug used by teens.
ƒRoughly6,000 peopleeachdayuse marijuanaforthefirsttime,and64 percentof first-
timeusers areundertheageof 18.7
ƒShort-termeffectsof marijuanaincludeproblemswithmemoryandlearning,distorted
perception,difficultyinthinkingandproblemsolving,loss ofcoordination,andincreased heartrate.
ƒInhalantsarethesecondmostcommondrug used by teens.8
ƒOne infiveeighth-gradershas everused inhalants,such as spray paints,cleaningfluids,
gasoline,andhairspray.
ƒTheimmediateeffectsofinhalantsincludeextremegiddiness,excitement,and
hallucinations.hesesubstancesmayalsocausebraindamage,memoryloss, anddeath.
RECOGNIZINGSUBSTANCEUSEAMONGADOLESCENTS INYOURPROGRAM
ƒThekeytorecognizingsigns of tobacco,drug, or alcoholuse istobeawareof changewithinthe
adolescent– whetheritisphysical,social,or emotional.
ƒTheAmericanCouncilfor Drug Educationhas identifiedsymptomstypicallyassociatedwith
varioussubstances,as seenbelow:8
ƒTobacco/Nicotine:Smellof tobacco;stainedfingersor teeth.
ƒInhalants:Wateryeyes;impairedvision,memory,andthought;headachesandnausea;
appearanceof intoxication;drowsiness.
ƒMarijuana:Glassy, redeyes;loudtalkingandinappropriatelaughterfollowedby
sleepiness;loss ofinterestandmotivation;weightgainor loss.
ƒAlcohol:Clumsiness;difficultywalking;slurredspeech;sleepiness;poor judgment;
dilatedpupils;possession of afalseID card.
ASSESSINGSUBSTANCEUSEBEHAVIORSAMONGADOLESCENTS INYOUROUT-OF-SCHOOLTIME
PROGRAM
Belowwe listseveralquestionsyou maywish touseinanevaluationor outcomesstudytoassess substanceuse amongadolescentsinyour program.Itisagood ideatoinvolvea researcheror research organizationtohelpyou learnhow besttoask sensitivequestionslikethese,whichmayupsetsome youth inyour program.Theseorganizationscanalsohelpyou work withyour localInstitutionalReview Board(oftencalledanIRB) whichwilllookoverthequestionsyou wanttoask andtheway you are goingtogettheinformation(e.g.,paperandpencilsurvey,or in-personinterviews).Theywillalso
makesure thechildrenand/oradolescentsinyour programshavepermissionandhaveagreedto participate.
Cigarettes
1. During thepast30 days, on how manydays didyou smokecigarettes?9
A. 0 days
B. 1 or 2 days C. 3 to5 days D. 6 to9 days
E. 10 to19 days F. 20 to29 days G. All30 days
2. During thepast30 days, on thedaysyou smoked,how manycigarettesdidyou smokeperday?9
A. I didnotsmokecigarettesinthepast30 days
B. Less than1 cigaretteperday
C. 1 cigaretteperday
D. 2 to5 cigarettesperdayE. 6 to10 cigarettesperdayF. 11 to20 cigarettesperday
G. More than20 cigarettesperday
Alcohol
3. During thepast30 days, haveyou hadatleastonedrinkof anyalcoholic beverage,such as beer,wine,or liquor?9
A. Yes
B. No
4. During thepast30 days, how manydays didyouhaveatleastonedrinkof any alcoholicbeverage?9
Days
5. During thepast30 days, on how manydays didyou havefiveor moredrinks of alcoholinarow,thatis,withinacoupleof hours?9
A. 0 days B. 1 day C. 2 days
D. 3 to5 days
E. 6 to9 days
F. 10 to19 days
G. 20 or moredays
Marijuana
6. During thepast30 days, how manytimes(ifany)haveyou used marijuana?10
Times
OtherIllicitDrugs
7. During thepast30 days, how manytimes(ifany)haveyou usedotherillicitdrugs, likecocaineor crackor heroin,or anyothersubstancenotprescribedby adoctor,in ordertogethighor toachieveanalteredstate?Do notincludemarijuanaor alcohol.
Times
8.During your life,how manytimeshaveyou sniffedglue,breathedthecontentsof aerosolspray cans,orinhaledanypaintsor spraystogethigh?9
Times
NEXTSTEPS:ADDITIONALRESOURCES FORYOURPROGRAM
ƒAmerican CouncilforDrugEducation(ACDE)
Findadditionaltipson talkingtoyour studentsaboutdrugs, as wellas informational lectureson drug use for use inyour program.Call1-800-488-DRUG or go to
ƒNationalInstituteonAlcoholAbuseandAlcoholism(NIAAA)
Findeducationalresourceson alcoholuse for programsat
ƒTheNationalDrugandAlcoholTreatmentReferralRoutingService
ThisHelpLineprovidesinformationon localtreatmentoptionsfor studentswho are abusingdrugs andalcohol.Call1-800-662-HELP (4357).
1CentersforDisease Controland Prevention. (1997).Youth risk behavior surveillance:National college health riskbehavior survey - UnitedStates.(1995).CDC SurveillanceSummaries,MorbidityandMortalityWeekly Report,46(SS-6):1-56.
2Centersfor Disease Controland Prevention. (1994).Guidelines for school health programs to prevent tobacco useandaddiction. MorbidityandMortality WeeklyReport.43(RR-2):1-19.
3Mokdad,A.H., Marks,J.S.,Stroup,D.F.,Gerberding,J.L.(2004). Actualcausesofdeath intheUnited
States, 2000. Journalofthe AmericanMedical Association,291:1238-1245.
4NationalInstitute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.(1994). Alcohol-RelatedImpairment.AlcoholAlert,25
(PH 351).
5Shatz, E.(2004). TeensHealth: Alcohol.Nemours Foundation.
6Dorsey J,Larson H,SegalJ.(2006).AlcoholAbuseandAlcoholism:Signs,Symptoms,Effectsand
Testing.
7DrugPolicy Alliance.(2006). Adolescentdrug use.
8American Councilfor Drug Education. (1999). Signs and symptoms ofdrug use.
9National Center for ChronicDiseasePrevention and HealthPromotion. (2007).State and LocalYouthRisk
BehaviorSurvey.
10Monitoringthe Future:AContinuing Study of American Youth (8th,10th,and 12th-Grade Surveys).(1976-
2004).AnnArbor, MI: Inter-University ConsortiumforPolitical andSocial Research.
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