Prevention of Substance Abuse

1992 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joy G. Dryfoos
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Alcohol Abuse ◽  
Cigarette Smoking ◽  
Smoking Behavior ◽  
Outcome Data ◽  
Smoking Prevention ◽  
School Based ◽  
Comprehensive Health ◽  
Laws And Policies ◽  
Family Bonding

The literature on prevention of substance abuse is extensive, diverse, uneven, and difficult to summarize. It encompasses intensive reviews of drug education research in general, well-documented experiments with specific school-based interventions, more cursory articles promoting a program but lacking any outcome data, pamphlets advertising curricula, and assorted other materials. This range reflects the fuzziness of the subject of substance abuse prevention and the specialized interests of those who work on it. Some efforts focus only on preventing cigarette smoking, others on alcohol abuse, a few include all substance-related behaviors. In programs directed toward alcohol abuse, there is no agreement on whether the goal should be abstinence or responsible decision making. There is little agreement about whether programs should focus only on substance abuse or deal with more general issues related to the predictors of substance use, such as family bonding and school failure. One school of thought adheres to the position that substance abuse issues should be dealt with in the context of comprehensive health education. Another approach to the prevention of substance abuse takes us away from school-based programs into the area of public policy. This view suggests that behavioral change will result from enforcing restrictive laws and policies and creating broader media efforts aimed at the whole society rather than youth. Many people attribute the decline in cigarette smoking to drastic shifts in public opinion about its social acceptability and safety following the release of a Surgeon General’s report 25 years ago that documented the negative health consequences of smoking. It is true that the changes in behavior even among adolescents took place in the late 1970s, prior to the initiation of most smoking prevention programs in schools in the early 1980s. Teen smoking behavior has changed much less during this decade than the prior one. The Advocacy Institute has proposed a number of priority policy actions to prevent smoking which include creating smoke-free workplaces and public spaces, increasing excise taxes on cigarettes (assuming a 10 percent increase in tax produces a 12 percent reduction in smoking!), compelling cigarette manufacturers to assume liability for smoke-caused deaths and diseases, neutralizing or reducing cigarette advertising and promotion, and restricting sales to minors.

The Economics of Smoking Prevention

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip DeCicca ◽  
Donald S. Kenkel ◽  
Michael F. Lovenheim ◽  
Erik Nesson
Keyword(s):  
Cigarette Smoking ◽  
Secondhand Smoke ◽  
Smoking Prevalence ◽  
Smoking Behavior ◽  
Tax Avoidance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Smoking Prevention ◽  
The Past ◽  
Cigarette Taxation ◽  
Developed Nations

Smoking prevention has been a key component of health policy in developed nations for over half a century. Public policies to reduce the physical harm attributed to cigarette smoking, both externally and to the smoker, include cigarette taxation, smoking bans, and anti-smoking campaigns, among other publicly conceived strategies to reduce smoking initiation among the young and increase smoking cessation among current smokers. Despite the policy intensity of the past two decades, there remains debate regarding whether, and to what extent, the observed reductions in smoking are due to such policies. Indeed, while smoking rates in developed countries have fallen substantially over the past half century, it is difficult to separate secular trends toward greater investment in health from actual policy impacts. In other words, smoking rates might have declined in the absence of these anti-smoking policies, consistent with trends toward other healthy behaviors. These trends also may reflect longer-run responses to policies enacted many years ago, which also poses challenges for identification of causal policy effects. While smoking rates fell dramatically over this period, the gradient in smoking prevalence has become tilted toward lower socioeconomic status (SES) individuals. That is, cigarette smoking exhibited a relatively flat SES gradient 50 years ago, but today that gradient is much steeper: relatively less-educated and lower-income individuals are many times more likely to be cigarette smokers than their more highly educated and higher-income counterparts. Over time, consumers also have become less price-responsive, which has rendered cigarette taxation a less effective policy tool with which to reduce smoking. The emergence of tax avoidance strategies such as casual cigarette smuggling (e.g., cross-tax border purchasing) and purchasing from tax-free outlets (e.g., Native reservations in Canada and the United States) have likely contributed to reduced price sensitivity. Such behaviors have been of particular interest in the last decade as cigarette taxation has roughly doubled cigarette prices in many developed nations, creating often large incentives to avoid taxation for those who continue to smoke. Perhaps due to the perception that traditional policy has been ineffective, recent anti-smoking policy has focused more on the direct regulation of cigarettes and smoking behavior. The main non-price-based policy has been the rise of smoke-free air laws, which restrict smoking behavior in workplaces, restaurants, and bars. These regulations can reduce smoking prevalence and exposure to secondhand smoke among nonsmokers. However, they may also shift the location of smoking in ways that increase secondhand smoke exposure, particularly among children. Other non-tax regulations focus on the packaging (e.g., the movement towards plain packaging), advertising, and product attributes of cigarettes (e.g., nicotine content, cigarette flavor, etc.), and most are attempts to reduce smoking by making it less desirable to the actual or potential smoker. Perhaps not surprisingly, research in the economics of smoking prevention has followed these policy developments, though strong interest remains in both the evaluation of price- and non-price policies as well as any offsetting responses among smokers that may undermine the effectiveness of these regulations. While the past two decades have provided fertile ground for research in the economics of smoking, we expect this to continue, as governments search for more innovative and effective ways to reduce smoking.

Common Concepts of Successful Prevention Programs

1992 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joy G. Dryfoos
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abuse ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Teen Pregnancy ◽  
School Achievement ◽  
Behavioral Outcomes ◽  
Family Intervention ◽  
Smoking Prevention ◽  
Unprotected Sexual Intercourse ◽  
School Based ◽  
High Risk Children

The review of four major fields—prevention of delinquency, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, and school failure (in Chapters 9 to 12)—yielded about 100 different programs that appear to have potential for changing behavioral outcomes. Most of the selected programs reported evaluation data that showed improvements in social behavior or school achievement or reductions in substance abuse or unprotected sexual intercourse. However, 20 of the programs were included as examples of new interventions based on proven theories of behavioral change but with incomplete evaluations. These programs represent a cross-section of thousands of efforts to change the lives of children and youth in all parts of the country. In each chapter, the programs were loosely categorized by type. Among all the models discussed, about 10 percent fell into the category of early child or family intervention, 60 percent were school-based interventions, and 30 percent community-based or multiagency programs. Among the school-based programs, one-third involved specialized curricula, one-third provided nonacademic services in schools, and one-third dealt with school organization or were alternative schools. As we will see, the successful programs share a number of common elements, more than might be expected given the extensive differences in size, complexity, goals, and level of documentation. Among the program models are those directed at very small groups of selected high-risk children and those directed at an entire school or community. Some of the programs had a single purpose (smoking prevention), while others had multiple goals (dropout and pregnancy prevention). Some were offered at one site, while others were multisite. The criterion of primary prevention was loosely applied; some of the most successful models combined identification and counseling or teaching of potential high-risk children with treatment of those who already had the problem. The evaluation of some of the programs accepted here as models was admittedly less than ideal, demonstrating only short-term effects with imperfect control groups. However, for other models, the evaluation meets scientific standards. More than half of the evaluations were carried out by the “designers” of the programs, typically testing their own curricula in schools.

scholarly journals Trends in tobacco use among children and adolescents in Israel, 1998–2015

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Tesler ◽  
T Kolobov ◽  
L Korn ◽  
K Shuval ◽  
D Levin Zemer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Cigarette Smoking ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Smoking Behavior ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Smoking Prevention ◽  
Policy Implications

Abstract Objectives This study aims to measure trends in cigarette smoking among children and adolescents in Israel, focusing on school grade, sex, and ethnicity. We hypothesized that smoking would be higher among boys and Arab-Israelis, rates would grow with age, and there would be a decline over time. Methods Data were derived from the Health Behavior in School-aged Children study between 1998-2015 in Israel. The total sample included 56,513 students in grades 6, 8, and 10, with 29,411 girls and 27,102 boys. Descriptive analysis described trends of smoking behavior according to grade, sex, ethnicity, family affluence, and year of study. Multivariate logistic regression analysis examined predicting variables. Results Smoking was higher among boys in all grades, ethnic groups, and years of study, with the highest frequencies among Arab-Israelis. Trends over the years show a decline from 1998-2004, followed by an increase for both sexes. The increase was more prominent among girls. Logistic regression analysis revealed strong associations between smoking and grade, sex, ethnicity, and year of study. Conclusions The results of this study can significantly enhance the development and implementation of smoking prevention and control programs among students in Israel. Key messages Our calibrated results engender important policy implications for the development of cigarette smoking prevention programs for Israeli youth, specifically in the school environment. health inequities needs to be a key part of a comprehensive strategy when discussing health promotion and development.

scholarly journals The role of psychosocial and belief factors in self-reported cigarette smoking among university students in Malaysia

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sami Al-Dubai ◽  
Kurubaran Ganasegeran ◽  
Mustafa Alshagga ◽  
Aamenah Hawash ◽  
Wahid Wajih ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cigarette Smoking ◽  
Tobacco Smoking ◽  
Smoking Status ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Smoking Behavior ◽  
Private University ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
The Social ◽  
Comprehensive Health ◽  
Health Model

This study aimed to explore factors associated, specifically belief factors, with self-reported tobacco smoking status. A sample of 300 students was recruited from a private university in Malaysia. Data was collected using a pre-tested self-administrated questionnaire that investigated various factors including socio-demographics, socio-economic status, smoking behavior and beliefs on tobacco smoking. The main tobacco use in this study sample was cigarettes and the estimated prevalence of self-reported cigarette smoking was 10.3%. In bivariate analysis, self-reported cigarette smoking was significantly associated with socio-demographic, behavioral factors and faculty of study (P<0.05). In multivariate modeling, being male and a non-medical student, did not exercise, having a smoker father and brother or sister, suffering from financial difficulties and having the belief that smokers had more friends, all had statistically significant associations (P<0.05) with self-reported cigarette smoking. Social and interpersonal factors were associated with self-reported cigarette smoking status. A comprehensive health model focusing on changing the social norms of parent and sibling tobacco smoking and students’ beliefs, alongside nurturing skills of dealing with stressful situations, warrant implementation.

Adolescents' Self-Reports of Tobacco, Alcohol, and Marijuana use: Examining the Comparability of Video Tape, Cartoon and Verbal Bogus-Pipeline Procedures

1984 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 379-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth M. Botvin ◽  
Gilbert J. Botvin ◽  
Nancy L. Renick ◽  
Anne D. Filazzola ◽  
John P. Allegrante
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Cigarette Smoking ◽  
Smoking Status ◽  
Drinking Behavior ◽  
Smoking Behavior ◽  
Marijuana Use ◽  
Smoking Prevention ◽  
Video Tape ◽  
Bogus Pipeline ◽  
Self Reports

Recent studies of smoking prevention have utilized procedures designed to motivate adolescents to provide truthful self-reports by convincing them that their smoking status can be verified by an independent (“bogus”) measure. The current study evaluated the effectiveness of three “bogus-pipeline” procedures hypothesized to increase the validity of self-reported cigarette smoking among 646 seventh graders from two suburban New York City schools. A second aim was to determine the extent to which “bogus-pipeline” procedures targeted specifically at cigarette smoking can indirectly increase the validity of self-reports of alcohol and marijuana use. Over-all, the observed bogus-pipeline effects were modest. Of the three procedures, both the video tape and cartoon presentation modes resulted in a slightly higher percentage of self-reported smoking behavior; only the cartoon presentation mode resulted in a higher percentage of drinking behavior. A reverse effect was observed for self-reported marijuana use in which subjects in the non-bogus-pipeline (control) condition reported significantly more marijuana use than those in the three bogus-pipeline conditions, suggesting overreporting in this population. It appears the validity of adolescents' self-reports may vary from population to population and from behavior to behavior in relation to the perceived social desirability of the specific behavior measured.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Substance Abuse/Alcohol Consumption and their Predictors among Patients Admitted in Operating Rooms of a General Educational Hospital, Tehran, Iran

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 63 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Shohreh Alavi ◽  
Ramin Mehrdad ◽  
Jalil Makarem
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Abuse ◽  
Cigarette Smoking ◽  
Operating Rooms ◽  
Water Pipe ◽  
Current Cigarette Smoking ◽  
Direct Estimate ◽  
Alcohol Water

Substance/alcohol abuse is an important public health threat in most countries. Social stigmatization and legal restrictions prevent accurate and direct estimate of prevalence of substance/alcohol abuse in Iran. This study aimed to estimate of the prevalence of alcohol and substance use among Iranian patients who were admitted to operating rooms of a general hospital in Tehran and identified risk factors that may predict alcohol and substance use. This cross-sectional study was conducted among all consecutive patients who were admitted to 16 operating rooms in Vali-e-Asr General Educational Hospital (Tehran, Iran) during March 2014 to September 2015. Data were derived from a medical history form prior to operation by trained nurses who were working in the operating rooms. Among 1136 patients admitted to operating rooms, 105 (28.7%) men and 21 (2.7%) women were substance/alcohol users. The main substance of abuse was opium (57.3%) followed by alcohol consumption (25.6%) and water pipe smoking (14.8%). Cigarette smoking was reported by 110 (30.1%) men and 21 (2.7%) women. Sex, cigarette smoking and family history of alcohol and substance abuse predicted 42.3% of the variance in substance abuse/alcohol consumption. Substance use, especially opium, alcohol, water pipe tobacco and cigarette smoking were found to be significantly high particularly among male patients. Being a man, current cigarette smoking and having a first-degree family member who had abused substances should be considered when planning preventive or therapeutic programs.

Health education for deaf Romanian children: parents’ opinions

2019 ◽  
Vol 119 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 341-349
Author(s):  
Laura Ionescu ◽  
Lacramioara Ursache ◽  
Adelina Nicolae ◽  
Adriana Conea ◽  
Cristian Potora ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Education ◽  
Communication Technology ◽  
School Health ◽  
Healthy Lifestyle ◽  
Smoking Prevention ◽  
Educational Activities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
North West ◽  
School Based ◽  
School Health Education

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on parents of children with hearing disabilities from Romania and has three objectives. First, it assesses their characteristics regarding use of communication technology. Second, it investigates their opinions regarding the importance of school-based education for healthy lifestyle promotion among their children. Third, it evaluates the availability for their involvement in educational activities using face-to-face approach and communication technology dedicated to helping parents to promote healthy lifestyle among their children, as well as factors which influence this availability. Design/methodology/approach The study was performed in October–November 2015 in two schools deserving children with hearing disabilities from North-West part of Romania. Anonymous questionnaire were filled in by 182 parents. Findings The majority of parents recognize the importance of school-based health education and more than 77 per cent totally agree that it should include issues regarding healthy nutrition, promotion of physical activity and smoking prevention. In total, 80.2 per cent of the parents declared that they are interested to participate in educational activities organized periodically at school and 66.5 per cent declared their interest in educational activities developed through communication technology in order to help them to stimulate the adoption of healthy lifestyle among their children. The availability was influenced by residence, educational level, understanding the importance of parents’ involvement, characteristics regarding the use of communication technology. Originality/value This represents the first study from Romania investigating the opinions and availability for their involvement with regard to school health education among parents of children with hearing deficiencies. The results have several implications for health education among children with hearing deficiencies and their parents.

Cigarette Smoking Behavior a Gateway to Opium Use Disorder: A Mendelian Randomization Analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdolhalim Rajabi ◽  
Azadeh Shojaei ◽  
Leila Janani ◽  
Mojtaba Farjam ◽  
Hamid Reza Baradaran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cigarette Smoking ◽  
Mendelian Randomization ◽  
Smoking Behavior ◽  
Mendelian Randomization Analysis ◽  
Randomization Analysis ◽  
Opium Use
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document