NCJ Number
119668
Journal
Bulletin on Narcotics Volume: 37 Issue: 2 and 3 Dated: (April-September 1985) Pages: 113-123
Date Published
1985
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Four groups of respondents -- drug nonusers, users of psychoactive substances, users of legal substances, and users of illegal substances -- categorized on the basis of a survey of a representative sample of 3,690 secondary school students on the island of Mallorca (Spain) were correlated with 13 psychosocial variables.
Abstract
The results showed distinct characteristics for each of the four categories of respondents. Between two poles consisting of nonusers and users of illegal substances, there is a category of users of legal substances, and all three categories form a continuum from one end to the other. This continuum supports the view that drug abuse is a sequential learning process that leads from simple drug use to drug addiction. Based on these findings, it is essential to identify characteristics of specific groups among secondary school students so as to implement a realistic and effective drug abuse prevention program in a given school. A prevention program should meet the needs of the target group. 22 references. (Author abstract modified)