Alcohol and Other Drug Use Disorders Among Homeless People in Australia

This paper describes alcohol and drug-use disorders among 210 homeless people in Australia, and compares the Australian findings with the international literature. While the prevalence of alcohol-use disorders among people who are homeless in Australia is comparable with other international studies, drug-use disorders appear to be more prevalent among Australian homeless than comparable international studies. Reasons for this difference are explored.     

The Relationship Between Club Drug Use and Other Drug Use: A Survey of New York City Middle School Students

In order to explore the relationship between use of club drugs (crystal methamphetamine, ecstasy, GHB, ketamine), and use of other drugs, survey data collected from 23,780 middle school students in New York City during 2002–2003 was examined. Results of HGLM analyses (a generalization of HLM to accomodate nonlinear outcomes), controlling for the effect of school, indicate that Black students are less likely than White students to use club drugs depending on the timeframe of use. The use of alcohol and/or marijuana predict club drug use regardless of the timeframe of use, and lifetime cigarette use predicts lifetime club drug use. Recommendations for future research and prevention efforts are discussed.     

Self-Reported Drug and Alcohol Use and Attitudes Toward Drug Testing in High Schools With Random Student Drug Testing

Many schools implement random student drug testing (RSDT) programs as a drug prevention strategy. This study analyzes self-report surveys of students in eight secondary schools with well-established RSDT programs, comparing students who understood they were subject to testing and students who understood they were not subject to testing. Students subject to testing reported significantly less marijuana and other illegal drug use than students in the same schools who were not subject to testing, and also had more positive attitudes toward testing. Alcohol use, which was not tested for in seven of the eight schools, did not differ between groups. This study provides evidence that awareness of eligibility for drug testing in schools with well-established RSDT programs is associated with lower rates of drug use.     

Sexual Behaviors Linked to Drug and Alcohol Use Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in China

Background: High-risk sexual behaviors drive the HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM). Alcohol consumption and use of club drugs may increase sexual risk behaviors. We evaluated effects of drug and alcohol use on sexual behaviors with both their male and female partners as well as on HIV and syphilis infections among MSM in China. Methods: As the part of a community randomized clinical trial that conducted among MSM in Beijing from 2013 to 2015, we recruited a total of 3,680 participants cross-sectionally. A self-administered questionnaire was employed to collect information regarding demographics, sexual behaviors, and a history of alcohol and drug use. Blood sample was collected for HIV and syphilis testing. Results: A total of 3,588 MSM completed the survey and were included in the data analysis. The mean age was 29.9 with 97.3% of Han-ethnicity and 85.0% unmarried. The HIV and syphilis prevalence was 12.7% and 7.4%, respectively. Drug use was significantly associated with higher odds of HIV infection (aOR = 1.3, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.0,1.6), but not associated with syphilis. A higher level of alcohol consumption was similarly associated with higher odds of HIV risks with both male (e.g., condomless sex acts) and female partners (e.g., numbers of sexual partners). Conclusion: The association between drug and alcohol use and high-risk behaviors is notable among MSM in China. Integrated HIV interventions that target substance use among MSM may be more effective than programs that only target HIV alone.     

Antisocial Behavior: Its Relation to Selected Sociodemographic Variables and Alcohol and Drug Use among Mexican Students

This study is part of the National School Survey on drug use by high school students in Mexico. The validity, reliability, and results of the Antisocial Acts Scale in Mexico City (n = 3, 501) are discussed. Using factorial analyses of the Antisocial Acts Scale, two major sources of variability were observed. The first one is related to antisocial acts with severe social consequences, in which violence and drug selling are included, and the second one is related to thefts. Significant differences were found in the number of offenses among groups of different gender, age, and occupation during the previous year. More antisocial acts were perpetrated by alcohol and drug users than by nonusers. In a logistic regression model, it was found that the main risk factors for perpetrating antisocial acts were being male, using alcohol, and using other drugs. [Translations are provided in the International Abstracts Section of this issue.]     

Co-Morbidity and Treatment Needs Among Nursing Home Residents Receiving Alcohol and Drug Treatment

Abstract

This study profiles nursing home residents receiving alcohol and drug treatment, describing their sociodemographic, health, and treatment characteristics. We analyzed 3,662 admission assessments in the Minimum Data Set for people receiving alcohol/drug treatment from June, 1998 through September, 2000. These residents were likely to be male and under age 50. More than half were White and 29 percent were African American. Typically, these residents were not physically or cognitively impaired. However, more than 39 percent had unstable health patterns and almost 21 percent had HIV disease. Thirty-eight percent had a history of mental health conditions, with 24 percent having depression and almost 18 percent having schizophrenia. At least 75 percent received no psychological therapy in the previous 7 days and a majority did not receive antipsychotic, antianxiety, or antidepressant medications. These analyses indicate that most recently admitted residents receiving alcohol/drug treatment did not receive mental health therapy in nursing homes.     

Use of and Attitudes Toward Club Drugs by Medical Students

ABSTRACT

This study assesses medical students' use of and attitudes towards club drugs, classified as “Generation I” (i.e., cocaine and lysergic acid diethylamide), and “Generation II” (ie, methylenedioxymethamphetamine [MDMA], ketamine, gamma hydroxybutyrate, methamphetamine, rohypnol, dextromethorphan) club drugs based on their initial widespread use in club settings. An anonymous questionnaire was administered to 340 medical students. The prevalence of any club drug use was 16.8%, with MDMA (11.8%) and cocaine (5.9%) the most commonly used. Results discussed also include the relationship of age and gender to having ever used club drugs and to their attitudes regarding use. Additionally, the study identifies differences in patterns of use and attitudes toward Generation I versus Generation II club drugs based on age, gender, and participants' prior club drug use. Findings are compared to those of earlier studies about medical students and those in a similar age group in the general population.     

Alcohol Use,Drug Use,and Well-Being in Older Adults in Toronto

This paper reports a study of alcohol- and drag-use by older clients in relation to their health and well-being. The sample of 349 persons was drawn from adults aged 60 and over living in senior citizens apartments in Toronto. Interviews were done in several languages. The results indicated that males and those aged 60 to 65 were less happy and healthy, had fewer social supports, and more alcohol-related problems. Drug-related problems were less numerous but occurred equally for both sexes. These results indicate that new alcohol programs are needed for the elderly, and these should focus on males, especially the younger elderly in transition from work to retirement.     

Alcohol Use Behaviors Among Pharmacy Students

Objective. To identify reasons for drinking, determine the patterns of alcohol abuse, and explore relationships between drinking motives and alcohol abuse patterns in pharmacy students.Methods. A cross-sectional anonymous, voluntary, self-administered paper survey instrument was administered to first-year (P1) through third-year (P3) pharmacy students as part of a professional seminar.Results. Survey instruments were completed by 349 pharmacy students (95.9% cooperation rate). Using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test criteria, 23.2% of students reported hazardous or harmful use and 67.2% of students reported consuming alcohol at hazardous levels during the past year. Students who were male (37.0%), single (25.3%), and attended the main campus (26.2%) were more likely than their counterparts to report hazardous or harmful alcohol use. Pharmacy students reported social motives as the most common reason for drinking; however, coping and enhancement motives were more predictive of harmful or hazardous alcohol use.Conclusion. Approximately 1 in 4 pharmacy students (23%) reported hazardous or harmful alcohol use. Education about the dangers of alcohol abuse and intervention programs from colleges and schools of pharmacy are recommended to help address this issue.     

Client Attitudes Toward Alcohol Use Self-Report

Because psychiatric illnesses and problematic alcohol use frequently co-occur and heavy alcohol use can exacerbate depression and anxiety, mental health clinicians should perform alcohol-use screenings. The aim of this study was to determine if psychiatric patients would be accepting of their mental health clinician screening them for heavy alcohol use. Using a written survey, patients rated their levels of agreement with 9 statements regarding opinions about alcohol screening by their mental-health providers. They also completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-C (AUDIT-C), a screening instrument for heavy alcohol use. One hundred fifty-four patients were surveyed in 2 psychiatric outpatient clinics. Nearly 40% screened positively for heavy alcohol use on the AUDIT-C. Nearly 8 out of 10 psychiatric patients were in favor of being screened for alcohol use by either self-report or biomarkers, independent of AUDIT-C status and gender. Thus, mental health clinicians should not be deterred from alcohol screening by perceived negative attitudes from patients.     

山西省城乡居民合理用药认知度问卷调查

目的:调查山西省居民合理用药知识,了解居民自我药疗水平。方法:选取山西省部分城市及国家级贫困县农村的居民点作为调查现场,采用统一方式,随机抽取20户居民进行问卷调查。内容包括:居民基本资料、对药物不良反应的认知情况,购买药品考虑的因素、用药依从性、对药品说明书的认识。结果:发放问卷3 885份,回收有效问卷2 891份,其中城市1 511份,农村1 397份。73.6%的城市居民和67.3%的农村居民了解药品有不良反应,两者间有显著性差异(P<0.001);35%的居民出现过药品不良反应,其中70%以上选择停药和就医。被调查的居民中,严格遵医嘱服药的城市居民占88.1%,农村居民占85.9%。75.1%的被调查者会阅读药品说明书,多数居民较注意阅读说明书中用法、用途和注意事项,药品不良反应阅读比例相对较少。结论:居民具备合理用药基本知识,但对药品不良反应知识欠缺。     

Alcohol Use among College Students: A Comparison of Athletes and Nonathletes

This study examines alcohol use among college students, focusing on variation in binge drinking based on involvement in athletics. Prior research indicates that college students who participate in athletics are more likely to report binge drinking than are students who are not involved in athletics. However, existing research has not offered an explanation why college athletes are at a greater risk for binge drinking. Using data from the 1999 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study, a national study examining substance use and other health risk behaviors of college students in the United States, the current research examines social norms as a possible source of the elevated levels of binge drinking among college athletes. Findings indicate that athletes are more likely to report binge drinking, in part, because they view alcohol use as being more normative. The limitations of the study are noted.     

Alcohol Use and Correlates of Binge Drinking among University Students on the Island of Sardinia,Italy

An anonymous questionnaire was administered to a sample of 1,911 students at Sardinia's main university during the fall of 1997. The questionnaire assessed various behaviors relating to alcohol including its use during or outside meals and binge drinking, defined as five or more drinks in a row. A significantly higher number of males reported drinking alcohol outside of meals and binge drinking than females, and males were also more likely to report impaired driving and consequences after drinking alcohol than females. A logistic regression model was used to determine correlates of binge drinking using demographics, health-risk behaviors, and leisure activities. The model confirmed being a male as one of the strongest correlates, but also included first drinking alcohol before age 17, marijuana use, living away from parents, cigarette use, having multiple sex partners, and exercising. The results indicate that alcohol use is prevalent among university students and is related to the use of other substances. Further investigation is warranted with particular attention paid to gender as a determinant of use.     

Interpersonal Guilt and Substance Use in College Students

Background: The college years are a time for developing independence and separating from one's family, and they are also a time in which substance use often escalates. This study examined the relationships between use of substances and interpersonal guilt, an emotion that can arise from feelings about separation among college students. Methods: In total, 1865 college students completed a survey evaluating substance use and interpersonal guilt. Regular users of alcohol, cigarettes, cannabis, and other illicit drugs were compared with nonregular users of each substance. Sequential linear regression, controlling for confounding variables, examined relationships between regular use of each substance and scores on a guilt index. Results: Risky drinkers and daily smokers had significantly more interpersonal guilt than their peers who did not regularly use these substances. In contrast, regular cannabis users had significantly less guilt than nonregular cannabis users. Conclusions: These data suggest that substance use among college students may be related to interpersonal guilt and family separation issues, and this relationship may vary across substances.     

Physicians' Assessment of Drug Use and Other HIV Risk Behavior: Reports by Female Drug Users

SUMMARY

With epidemiological trends indicating that Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is the third leading cause of death among women ages 25 to 44 in the United States, it is becoming increasingly important to deal with the issue of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevention for women. Recommendations for primary and secondary prevention strategies tailored to the needs of women have been formulated. Such calls have included the recommendation that prevention efforts be intensified in medical settings regularly frequented by women. One setting identified is that of gynecological and obstetric services where HIV risk assessment, testing, and counseling would be an excellent means of reaching a maximum number of women of child-bearing age. Despite calls by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for OB/ GYN service providers to engage in HIV prevention, research has shown that physicians remain reluctant to address the issue with patients. This study explored the likelihood of physicians and other health service providers to engage in HIV prevention through risk behavior assessment, HIV testing, and HIV counseling by requesting information from female drug abusers not currently in substance abuse treatment. Sixty percent of the drug abusing women in this study did not receive HIV information from their health care provider, 70% did not receive HIV counseling, 68% were not offered HIV testing, and 66% were not asked to provide a drug history. Of those participants who had not been asked to provide a drug history, almost half indicated that they would have been willing to provide truthful answers had they been asked. These findings indicate that a prime opportunity for HIV prevention is being missed by women's health care providers. Neglecting to ask female patients about their drug use history and to explore their risk for HIV infection can have dire consequences for these women. Early intervention is less likely if the topic is not broached by service providers, increasing the likelihood of infection and the spread of the disease.     

Changes in Drug Use Among Belgian Higher Education Students: A Comparison Between 2005, 2009, and 2013

Background: Most drug users initiate illicit drug use during adolescence and young adulthood. Although in the general population a trend towards a decrease in drug use can be seen, patterns of drug use among students are unclear. Objectives: The objective of the study was to look at drug use patterns among students in higher education in Belgium. Methods: A survey study in Antwerp (Belgium) was conducted on three occasions (2005, 2009, and 2013) at several institutes for higher education. Students (total sample size 24,478; 29,210, and 31,950, respectively) were asked if they had used legal or illicit drugs in the past year. To compare whether drug use differed between the separate years, χ²-tests were performed on past-year drug use for all three time points. If significant, χ²-tests between pairs were performed. Gender and age differences were also analyzed. Results: The use of nondistilled alcohol, spirits, and cannabis decreased during this period but no change in student's use patterns was seen for beer, wine, sedative hypnotics, stimulating medication, XTC, cocaine, or amphetamines. Tobacco use decreased initially, but increased in 2013. More men indicated having used drugs in the past year than women. Only for cannabis did more younger students indicate having used in the past year. Conclusions/Importance: The data from this study could provide valuable insights for academic and governmental bodies and health care professionals into the use of drugs by higher education students since this subgroup shows specific use patterns.     

Gender Differences in Alcohol Use and Alcohol Problems: Mediation by Social Roles and Gender-Role Attitudes

This study assesses the causal place of Traditional Gender Role Attitudes (TGRA) in models for men and women, which also include social roles by explanatory variables for alcohol use and alcohol problems. Mediation of gender differences by TGRA occurs mainly in abstinence. Interaction effect is weak for alcohol consumption and frequency of “heavy drinking.” The most important explanatory variables are the status factors age and education, which are mediated by TGRA in a small way. Specific aspects of alcohol-related problems are analyzed separately for the problem drinking category. Differences in results with other studies are discussed, and further study is proposed.     

Differences in Drug Use among Rural and Suburban High School Students in Ohio

This exploratory study examines differences in the prevalence of drug use by gender among twelfth grade students (n = 464) in selected rural and suburban high schools in west-central Ohio. The lifetime use of alcohol and other drugs is common among all groups. Proportionally fewer boys in rural schools than boys in suburban schools reported the use of marijuana, inhalants, and LSD, or recent episodes of drunkenness. No statistically significant differences emerged between girls in rural and, suburban schools. Afterschool employment practices may help explain the observed differences. [Translations are provided in the International Abstracts Section of this issue.]     

Alcohol Use and Negative Consequences among American College Students in West Germany

Numerous investigations have recently focused on the prevalence and causes of problem drinking among American college students. The present study examined alcohol consumption and negative consequences due to drinking among 216 American college students at an American university in West Germany. American students in Germany reported a substantially higher frequency and amount of drinking, along with higher rates of negative consequences as compared to their stateside peers. The data are discussed in terms of the relationship between the American collegiate life-style of alcohol abuse and life in an alcohol-permissive society. Recommendations for changing the collegiate norm of alcohol abuse are presented.     

Alcohol and Drug Use,Smoking, and Gambling Among Psychiatric Outpatients: A 1-Year Prevalence Study

ABSTRACT

Background and Aims: Studies of alcohol habits in general psychiatric populations are scarce. The objective was to investigate alcohol and drug use, smoking, and gambling in a clinical sample of psychiatric outpatients. A further aim was to study age and gender differences in the rates of these habits. Methods: Data were collected among psychiatric outpatients with mainly mood (47%) and anxiety (35%) disorders. A questionnaire package was distributed, including AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test), DUDIT (Drug Use Disorders Identification Test), tobacco items, and gambling items. Two major drinking categories were formed: “Nonhazardous alcohol use” (NH) and “Alcohol use above hazardous levels” (AH). Results: In total, 2160 patients (65% females) responded to the questionnaire package. The AH rate was high among psychiatric outpatients (28.4%), particularly among young females (46.6%). Young female patients also reported a high prevalence of problematic drug use (13.8%). Problematic drug use, daily smoking, and problematic gambling were frequent. The unhealthy habits were linked to AH. Conclusions: Alcohol and drug use, smoking, and gambling are all highly prevalent among psychiatric outpatients. Young females are in particular need of attention. Interventions should be tailored for co-occurring psychiatric disorders and applied within routine psychiatric care.