NCJ Number
120770
Date Published
1989
Length
74 pages
Annotation
This analysis of the drug abuse problem in Ohio focuses on citizen attitudes, surveys of overall use, costs, and the link between drugs and crime.
Abstract
It also includes reprints of papers discussing crack cocaine, alcohol, juvenile drug gangs, the impacts of maternal drug use on infants and children, complications for law enforcement, effective treatment programs, and the Federal policy of consequences and confrontation. A 1988 Ohio survey found that adults see drug use as the most serious problem troubling youth today, and many view drug abuse as the most serious threat ever to face the younger generation. However, citizens appear uncertain about how to handle the drug problem. In addition, most people know at least one individual who regularly abuses alcohol. Marijuana is the most frequently used illegal drug, and Ohio's average alcohol consumption is slightly below the national averages. A 1988 survey of Ohio school-age youth found substance use similar to national patterns, with alcohol and tobacco the first drugs young people report using. Ohioans have also historically used and abused an unusually large amount of prescription drugs. The costs of drug abuse are substantial and affect many aspects of society. Finally, drugs and alcohol affect crime and justice in several ways. Figures, tables, and list of other research reports from the same source are included.