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July 4, 2003 |
In Brief |
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The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) asks respondents to report use of alcohol and various illicit drugs during the month prior to the interview. "Any illicit drug" refers to marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), inhalants, hallucinogens, heroin, or prescriptiontype drugs used nonmedically. Youths aged 12 to 17 enrolled in school in the past year1 were asked about their attitudes toward school, including whether or not they liked going to school,2 if they felt that schoolwork was meaningful and important,3 and if they felt that what they learned in school would be important later in life.4 Youths also were asked about their past year participation in schoolcoordinated drug prevention programs.5 In an earlier schoolrelated NHSDA short report, the link between academic performance and substance use was investigated, and youth participation in activities was examined.6
Figure 1. Percentages of Youths Aged 12 to 17 Enrolled in School in the Past Year* Reporting Positive School Attitudes: 2001 |
Table 1. Percentages of Youths Aged 12 to 17 Enrolled in School in the Past Year* Reporting Past Year Substance Use, by School Attitudes: 2001 |
Overall, past year illicit drug use (20 percent) and alcohol use (34 percent) were lower for youths who had seen or heard drug or alcohol prevention messages at school in the past year than for youths who had not (25 and 38 percent, respectively). However, the rate of past year alcohol use was not significantly different among female youths who had seen or heard drug or alcohol prevention messages at school (36 percent) and among female youths who had not seen or heard drug or alcohol prevention messages at school (38 percent). Also, the rates of alcohol and illicit drug use were not significantly different for Asian and Hispanic youths who had seen or heard drug or alcohol prevention messages at school and Asian and Hispanic youths who had not seen or heard drug or alcohol prevention messages at school (Figure 3).
Figure 2. Percentages of Youths Aged 12 to 17 Enrolled in School in the Past Year* Reporting That They Had Seen or Heard Drug or Alcohol Prevention Messages at School in the Past Year, by Race/Ethnicity**: 2001 |
Figure 3. Percentages of Youths Aged 12 to 17 Enrolled in School in the Past Year* Reporting Past Year Substance Use, by Exposure to Drug or Alcohol Prevention Messages in School and Race/Ethnicity**: 2001 |
** American Indian/Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander youths were excluded from the analysis due to small sample sizes.
Source (all figures and table): SAMHSA 2001 NHSDA.
The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) is an annual survey sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The 2001 data are based on information obtained from 69,000 persons aged 12 or older, including approximately 23,000 youths aged 12 to 17. The survey collects data by administering questionnaires to a representative sample of the population through facetoface interviews at their place of residence.
The NHSDA Report is prepared by the Office of Applied Studies (OAS), SAMHSA, and by RTI in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Information and data for this issue are based on the following publication and statistics: Office of Applied Studies. (2002). Results from the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse: Volume I. Summary of national findings (DHHS Publication No. SMA 023758, NHSDA Series H17). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Also available online: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov. Additional tables available upon request. |
The NHSDA Report is published periodically by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission from SAMHSA. Additional copies of this report or other reports from the Office of Applied Studies are available online: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov. Citation of the source is appreciated. |
This page was last updated on December 30, 2008. |
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