NCJ Number
137681
Date Published
1991
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This document reports on the results of and recommendations from a 1989-90 survey of drug use among more than 15,000 Illinois students in grades 7 through 12 in a probability sample of classrooms.
Abstract
Alcohol and tobacco were used by far more students than illicit drugs and were associated with serious health, social, psychological, and legal problems. Illicit drugs were also a major problem as evidenced by 15 percent of the sample reporting use of an illicit drug during the past year. Youth not enrolled in school who may be more likely to be users must also be added to these numbers. Students in Cook County had a lower use rate for alcohol and almost all other drugs than students in other Illinois counties. This suggests that drug use is not uniquely an urban problem. There were few differences between white students in Cook County and white students in all other counties. African Americans, particularly females, had the lowest rate of alcohol and other drug use. These figures compare with national and other State findings. The low rates of alcohol and other drug usage may be related to the large number of African American youth whose religious affiliation promotes a drug-free lifestyle. The socio-demographic factors associated with drug use are being male, having maladjustment in school, being white or Hispanic, and coming from a lower socioeconomic background. Among the report's recommendations are that prevention programs target youth with high-risk characteristics and the family and friends of the drug-using youth. 17 exhibits and 10 references