Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Drug education'

The Vermont Agency of Human Services Incarcerated Women’s Initiative (IWI), constituted in April of 2005, was instrumental in supporting the development and implementation of a pilot project, which encompassed three communities in Vermont. The Pilot programs aimed to reduce and prevent incarceration of women whose criminogenic problems were related to their substance use and abuse. These innovative projects are the subject of this mixed methods evaluative study – to determine the extent to which involvement in this project changed the behaviors leading to incarceration and in effect, succeeded in reducing incarceration and further involvement with the criminal justice system. Qualitative data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with former program participants and staff of the projects. Descriptive data was collected through quarterly reports from the project managers to the Vermont Department of Health, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs, the funding agency, and the Vermont Department of Corrections. Each of the sites were compared and contrasted to tell the stories of the women who participated, and to gather the wisdom of the people who worked with them. The outcomes of the study supported the continued utilization of the key strategies of the Drug Education, Treatment, Enforcement and Rehabilitation (DETER) projects in facilitating greater engagement and retention in treatment, and reducing further incarceration in the study subjects. Recommendations for policy change include greater access statewide to Dedicated Case Management, Collaborative Inter-disciplinary Team Planning, and Wrap-Around Services for women offenders.

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if a drug testing program could impact or change student drug use at the secondary education level. Secondary purposes were to 1) assess the perceptions of secondary education students toward licit and illicit drugs, drug use, and the newly implemented drug testing program, and 2) to examine why drug use may continue even after a drug testing program has been implemented. Data was collected through the use of questionnaires, discussion groups, and one-on-one interviews. Examination of the questionnaire data indicated that student drug use was not substantially deterred by the newly implemented drug testing program over a three to four month time period. Also, students' perceptions of the newly implemented drug testing program were mainly that of disagreement. Students commented that they felt the drug testing policy was implemented to "catch them" using drugs rather than "help them" with a possible drug addiction. One of the main reasons that the drug testing program did not have a great deterrent effect on student drug use, as suggested by the students, was that the odds were not high enough that they would be selected to be drug tested. In some instances, drug testing was not proving to be a deterrent to drug use, but rather a deterrent to participation in school activities. However, for some students, drug testing was proving to be a deterrent to drug use. As quoted from one of the discussion group members: "It's a step in the right direction."
School of Physical Education

Thesis (M. Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 2000.
Includes special report study entitled: Rehabilitation in natural surrounding : towards a therapeutic environment. Includes bibliographical references.

This study addressed the efficacy of a multimodal substance abuse prevention program with elite-level athletes. By utilizing components of substance abuse information and education, coping skills training, and self-esteem strategies, the study examined the effect of these variables on the subsequent alcohol and drug use behaviors and attitudes of the participants.In addition, measures of self-esteem and stress were examined to determine the effect of prevention on these variables. Gender differences were examined regarding substance use behaviors and attitudes, and change score measures were utilized to observe for behavioral changes from pretest to follow-up testing.Results indicated no differences on any of the dependent measures. Utilizing a repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), no significant differences in substance use behaviors and attitudes between athletes in the treatment and control conditions were found. There were also no gender differences reported on the dependent measures. In addition, chisquare (X2) analyses demonstrated no behavioral or attitudinal differences. A significant finding indicated that control group subjects had more substance abuse changes (both positive and negative) than the treatment condition. The hypotheses of the study were unconfirmed as a result of the statistical analyses.Limitations of the present study include the small sample size (although representative of the population), the small amount of actual reported use behaviors, and the length of the program (not sufficient time). It is recommended that future research in this area maintain the multimodal approach, while lengthening the time of implementation. Future dependent measures must be able to accurately detect small fluctuations in reported substance abuse behavioral changes.The survey data suggest that athletes at the elite level do demonstrate alcohol and drug use behaviors that may be detrimental to their personal and professional potential. Substance abuse education programs are necessary components of holistic prevention for athletes at all levels of training and competition. Future programs must consider the present study in the development of more successful and practical substance abuse education for athletes.
Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Drug use and misuse by young people is a problem and concern in the Australian and Australian Capital Territory (ACT) communities. There are concerns regarding illicit and licit drugs but licit drug use has been identified as the major area of concern. Young people in the ACT reflect the drug use/misuse patterns and trends of other states. Commonly used drugs by young people are alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and analgesics. Strategies to address the problem of drug use/misuse by young people include intervention and community drug education programs. Peer drug education (as an example of community drug education), trains young people as peer educators to implement drug education programs with younger age groups. A case study analysis based on qualitative, naturalistic and new paradigm research is the research method used in this thesis. An eclectic model of drug education including key components from a variety of drug education models provides a comprehensive overview of peer drug education. The literature review showed the complexity of influences on drug use/misuse. These influences relate to individual, peer, parental and family, community and societal factors. Peer drug education is generally recognised as an effective drug education strategy. Peer drug education programs (Triple T: Teenagers Teaching Teenagers) were conducted in the ACT from 1988-1990. Reports documenting these programs (including evaluation data) and a literative review are the main data analysed for the case study. The case study analysis of five ACT peer drug education programs and one interstate program showed the key planning issues for effective peer drug education were: collaborative decision making as a central concept; detailed planning and liaison with target groups; established structures within schools and communities to support the trained peer educators; team work and small group work as intrinsic and extrinsic factors within the program; clarification of responsibilities and roles of all personnel involved in the program; and facilitators/leaders with attributes and qualities that encourage peer drug educators as social change agents. Analysis of data from the case study reports showed young people can be effective peer drug educators. Residential programs are preferred over non-residential programs. Peer drug education programs are effective in both school and community agencies. The literature review and analysis of reports also indicated that peer drug education needs to focus on establishing positive norms in groups of young people. Collaborative decision making and positive role modelling assist in the establishment of these norms. Peer drug education links to the wider changes occurring in education and health settings. Peer drug education is about collaborative decision making, social justice, development of key competencies and social change. This thesis confirmed the complexity and dynamic nature of peer drug education and there were many questions raised for further research from the literature review and analysis of program reports.

Class of 2010 Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of a current elementary school drug education program, Too Good for Drugs, on children’s views about drugs. METHODS: This was a descriptive, prospective study using pre- and post-test methodology. Participants were given a survey prior to the initiation of a drug education program, Too Good for Drugs. One month after the completion of the drug education program the same survey was given to the participants to see if their views and overall knowledge had changed. RESULTS: The overall knowledge of the groups increased from baseline (p=0.004). Participants in the fourth-grade group had a greater difference in drug knowledge from baseline than fifth-graders (p=0.008 vs. 0.01, respectively). The fourth-grade cohort had increased healthy attitudes about alcohol (p=0.007). Both groups had healthier views on marijuana (4th p=0.007 5th p=0.03) post- intervention. CONCLUSIONS: The Too Good for Drugs curriculum is effective at improving the views about drugs among the participants. Views on alcohol and marijuana improved. Participants in the program may be better served if there were an over-the-counter and prescription drug component.

Background: Unsafe injection practices remain a significant source of morbidity and mortality among people who inject drugs (IDU), this thesis sought to: review the literature outlining the ways in which people inject unsafely, the health consequences associated with unsafe practices, the factors that influence injection practices, and the interventions that have been designed to address these problems; describe a drug user-led safer injecting education campaign; and finally, examine the facilitators’ and participants’ perceptions of a unique user-led intervention. Methods: Qualitative data was derived from semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted with eight members of the Injection Support (IS) Team who developed and facilitated a series of safer injecting education workshops and 20 individuals who participated in these workshops. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and a thematic analysis was conducted. Results: A literature review identified numerous specific unsafe injection practices, which are associated with negative health outcomes, including HIV, hepatitis C, bacterial infections, and venous damage. Research demonstrates that various individual, physical, social, and structural factors influence injection practices, and has identified a number of interventions (e.g. syringe distribution, education) that reduce negative health consequences. Results indicate that IDU typically learn about injecting by watching or sharing experiences with other IDU and that significant gaps in knowledge regarding safer injecting practices persist. Accounts of IDU suggest that the unique process and structure of IS Team workshops enabled effective communication of information about safer injecting practices, while targeting the unsafe practices of workshop participants. Facilitators’ identity as IDU enhanced their ability to relate to workshop participants, most of whom expressed that they prefer user-led interventions to other approaches. Facilitators reported gaining knowledge, skills, and positive feelings about themselves from their involvement in the campaign, while many participants reported that they acquired new knowledge that would alter their future injecting practices. Discussion: The IS Team education campaign focuses on health issues relevant to IDU that are not being adequately addressed by existing public health programs. This study demonstrates the feasibility and benefits of involving IDU in educational initiatives targeting unsafe injecting. Increased involvement of IDU in interventions designed to address unsafe injecting is urgently required.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
This thesis is the study of the cost associated with expanding the Navy's drug abuse education program as a means of controlling the Navy's drug abuse problem. It focuses on the former Navy Drug and Alcohol Safety Action Program (NADSAP) now the Personal Responsibility and Values Education and Training (PREVENT) course. The thesis asks the questions: What are the characteristics of the Navy's drug population? What are the costs/benefits of the Navy's Level III rehabilitation program? What are the costs of separating sailors who use illegal drugs? What are the costs/benefits of the Navy's drug education program? In conclusion, the thesis proposes that the Navy's drug education program is the most cost-effective alternative and should be expanded. It also suggest that the appropriate mix of education, rehabilitation, and separation would balance the marginal benefits per dollar for each alternative.

The purpose of the project is to develop and evaluate a writing unit that could be used to teach adult students in a drug court program. The project is based on theories behind narrative therapy, its use in the treatment of persons with addiction problems, and how the reframing of students' own life stories through writing can bring about change. By using writing prompts as both therapeutic and educational tools, the author hoped to improve the students' life-coping skills and their writing abilities. The unit consists of paragraph writing, essay writing, reflective writing that focused on past events, and using computers to compose and format texts. The author evaluated a preliminary draft of the unit by submitting it to four education professionals with a questionnaire. Data was also collected from the author's students by means of surveys, interviews, and writing samples. Feedback from the professionals and the students guided the revision of the unit. The questionnaire, survey, and interview questions used in the project and the preliminary and final revised drafts of the teaching unit are included.

This research utilised qualitative methods to gain a deeper insight into the policy, planning and practice of school-based drug education than had previously been achieved in Scotland. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with staff in nine Grampian secondary schools together with a case study of one school. The case study involved direct lesson observations as well as in-depth interviews and feedback sessions with stakeholders in drug education including staff and 48 pupils. In both parts of the study schools were selected by theoretical sampling, each interview was transcribed in full and all data were annotated and analysed with the aid of specialist computer software. Validity and reliability were enhanced by constant vigilance in data analysis and by various procedures including reactivity analysis, peer examination,triangulation and consideration of any potential bias on the part of the researcher. The highest standards of ethics were applied throughout the study. Whereas previous studies have revealed the lack of impact of drug education on drugtaking behaviour in young people, this research is unique in attempting to explain this lack of impact. The research findings revealed that teaching and learning processes in drug education were below best practice as defined by the relevant research literature and national guidelines. Four key underlying issues were identified: (1) A lack of clarity and understanding about the goals of drug education;( 2) A lack of time and support for researching, planning and reviewing drug education; (3) A low priority assigned to Personal and Social Education (PSE) in general; (4) A failure to recognise drug education as a broad and complex subject requiring considerable expertise to teach. Fundamental changes to how drug education is approached both locally and nationally would be required to resolve these issues in full. Ihe nature of these changes is discussed in detail in the thesis.

Levels of drug use have increased in Northern Ireland during the past decade and particularly amongst young people. Recently, the government in response to community concerns and an increased media focus has banned drugs known as 'legal highs'. A consequence o! these actions has been an explosion in unregulated information about these drugs online through the mediums of search engines, chat rooms, forums, blogs and social networking sites. This has proved to be a challenge for existing school-based drug education. Within this context this thesis provides a holistic sociological perspective on drug education and harm reduction. Specifically, it addresses: the debate between school-based drug education and harm reduction and the difficulty of embedding harm reduction within the school system. A mixed method approach was utilized. This incorporated a questionnaire survey with a sample of 440 pupils, drawn from ten schools in Northern Ireland, which was conducted over two time points. Qualitative data included focus groups, interviews and semi-structured interviews of teachers, youth workers, police, paramilitaries and young people attending an Alternative Education Provider. In addition, content analysis of online media, including Social Networking Sites, was undertaken. Key findings highlight that young people's drug use is a significant problem. A harm reduction strategy an as alternative to drug education was examined. Often the educator's involved in the research had misconceptions about what harm reduction involved and indicated that they were reluctant to adopt a harm reduction approach to drug education. Common reasons were that a harm reduction strategy would, or be seen to, condone drug use, encourage drug use, upset parents, or damage the school's reputation. A further finding was the current programme of drug education is being undermined by pupils' use of the Internet. Existing drug education programmes are reluctant to use, and engage, with the same resources as pupils (such as chat-rooms, blogs, forums and Social Networking sites) in an attempt to educate the young people how to use them as safely as possible. As a result, pupils were often unhappy with the current programme of school-based drug education, and were spending time online seeking drug information. Common themes from participants was that the current programme of drug education was 'boring' with an over reliance on PowerPoint presentations and out-dated textbooks. It is recommended that harm reduction would be a more effective strategy within schools if it is integrated within a broader more comprehensive drug education agenda. It is recommended that a new approach to drug education that integrates harm reduction with the traditional programme of drug education would be a more successful way to educate young people about drugs. It is also recommended from the research that teacher engagement with the Internet is essential as a tool to gain information on drugs and to inform and educate young people on the risks associated with drug use. This research contributes to the educational debate surrounding harm reduction versus the current programme of school-based drug education and young people's engagement in drug education programmes in schools.

Humans have been using plant-derived drugs for as long as we have recorded history. Significant negative drug abuse related consequences occur in the areas of health, social issues, family relations, legal systems, and economic productivity. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between meaning in life and drug abuse. An epidemiological, retrospective study was performed to compare personal meaning in life between 49 individuals receiving in-patient treatment for drug abuse and a group of 49 matched, non-drug abusing controls. Study participants completed the Purpose-In-Life Test and Life Attitude Profile-Revised. On both instruments, the in-patient drug abusing subjects were found to have significantly different levels of meaning in life. Drug treatment and primary prevention programs should consider some attention toward life meaning issues in their strategies or environments. Future research should explore in greater detail and with larger samples drug abusers' subjective assessment of life's meaning.

School drug use has been attributed to the annual suspension of thousands of secondary adolescents, subsequently contributing to poor academics, low graduation rates, and continued school drug use. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of former adolescents who engaged in school drug use. Social learning theory suggests that behaviors observed from within the environment may later be modeled. Using Bandura's social learning theory, 10 participants, 18 years old and older responded to open-ended questions about how they processed school drug use. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, the responses to the open-ended questions were coded and analyzed. Bandura's social learning theory supports the key findings. Findings indicated that former students reported being influenced by their environment and others around them, such as friends. Additional findings from the study suggest that boredom was another reason students engaged in school drug use. While a few students enrolled in a new school after being suspended for school drug use, the findings suggest that out-of-school suspensions are not meaningful to students. After returning to school from their suspension, students felt behind in their school work. Implications for social change include understanding potential influences of school drug use on students and their environment. This understanding can benefit schools, parents, and the community through interventions and proactive measures that target school drug use among adolescents.

The long-term regular use of tobacco and hazardous alcohol use are responsible for significant mortality and morbidity as well as social and economic harm in Australia each year. There is necessary the more cost-efficient primary prevention strategies are equally, if not more important. Youth have been identified as an important primary prevention target group in public health initiatives designed to reduce drug-related harm. Strengthening parents' capacity to reduce children's risk of alcohol, tobacco and other drug-related harm is also recognised as an important strategy. The first chapter of this thesis introduces this public health issue, provides a summary of the present state of play regarding parent-training intervention research, and presents the research hypotheses. A comprehensive review of the epidemiological, empirical, and theoretical literature pertaining to this research is presented in Chapter 2. Recreational alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) use results in some 23 000 deaths (representing around 18% of all deaths) and the premature loss of some 160 000 person-years of life each year in Australia. The social consequences have been estimated to cost the Australian community almost $19 billion annually. The prevalence of young people in these data is also cause for concern. In Western Australia (WA), nearly one third of the alcohol-related deaths in the period 1993-1995 occurred in people aged less than 25 years. In 1995 in WA, alcohol use was responsible for almost two thirds of all drug-related deaths in those aged 15-34 years. Furthermore, road crashes accounted for almost half (45%) of the deaths among those aged under 25 years in WA and alcohol was a leading factor in these crashes. There is agreement that the use of ATODs is a learned behaviour and therefore broadbased psychosocial theories offer the most promising explanation for its onset.
Recent research addressing adolescent ATOD-use initiation has focused on the concepts of adolescent vulnerability and resilience. This Social Development Model identifies several social factors that are posited to predict or be protective of ATOD use (and other hazardous behaviours) during childhood and adolescence. While parents are not the only social influence on children, they provide the primary social learning environment for children and as such, can play an important role in whether or not their children initiate ATOD use. Four major groups of parenting risk and protective factors are evident from the literature. These include parental modelling of ATOD use, the normative standards parents set regarding ATOD use, their parenting style and family management techniques, and the nature of parent-child communication. The provision of skills training consistent with the concepts of 'authoritative parenting' is supported in the literature as a means to reduce the likelihood of children engaging in hazardous behaviours. Such training is promoted as being an effective and enduring strategy for reducing youth behaviours, such as regular use of tobacco and hazardous use of alcohol and/or other drugs, that have the potential to cause substantial health, social, and financial harm. Few ATOD programs focussing on parenting skills (particularly parent-child communication) were found to have been subjected to rigorous efficacy or effectiveness studies. Of those subjected to empirical investigation, most were constrained by methodological shortcomings and/or difficulties in recruiting and maintaining substantial parent participation.
Seeking ways to recruit and engage a high percentage of Australian parents in such a program is an important area for investigation because, while they may be difficult to reach, parents have persuasive and powerful influences on children's health behaviour. Potential predictors of parental participation were identified in the literature and a consultation process with parents was undertaken to determine their needs and preferences as well as strategies to recruit and engage a greater proportion of parents. The methodology of this research therefore comprised a small Exploratory Study followed by a larger efficacy trial. The Exploratory Study involved consultation with eight small groups of parents regarding the design and content of an ATOD educational intervention. The methodology of this consultation is presented in detail in Chapter 3. A questionnaire and structured group discussions of parents' responses were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data regarding their opinions and preferences regarding the frequency, intensity, time and type of an ATOD-related educational intervention. The results of the consultation with parents and a concurrent discussion of how each finding relates to previous research are presented in Chapter 4. Of the 213 parents/guardians invited, 110 responded, of which 72 indicated they would attend one of the discussion groups. While the attendance at the discussion groups was very low (response rate of 24% n=51), the total number of parents consulted exceeded or was equivalent to similar formative research.
Parents reported they worry about the potential harm associated with ATOD use by children and probably underestimate their own children's vulnerability and ATOD-use experiences. They wanted to be involved in the planning phases of parent-oriented ATOD-related educational interventions. Parents also identified numerous barriers for their participation in educational programs. They identified flexibility and convenience regarding intervention delivery as being essential and preferred interventions to be home-based. The parents reported that any intervention directed at parents should be supported by parents, non-judgemental, simple, time-efficient, easy to use, fun, colourful and interactive. Parents recommended that practical communication skills (such as how to talk with children, how to raise the topic and what topics to talk about) be addressed in the intervention. Parents also recommended a range and combination of strategies to promote and maintain parent involvement, such as rewarding children of parents who participate. The second part of this research involved merging the exploratory data with information from previous similar research to develop a drug-related educational intervention for parents. A parent-directed ATOD educational intervention, designed to assist parents to talk with their Year 6 children about smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol, was developed and implemented. Its feasibility and impact on parent-child drug-related communication were evaluated in a randomised comparison trial. The methods utilised in this trial are detailed in Chapter 5. Seven data collection instruments were developed and standardised data collection procedures were established. Demographic, process and impact data were collected. Schools were randomly selected and randomly assigned to one of three study conditions.
Parents were recruited from schools. Intervention-group 1 was given a choice of learn-at-home drug education materials and Intervention-group 2 received learn-at-home drug education materials but were not given a choice. The Comparison-group parents were not exposed to the intervention. Completeness of the dissemination and implementation of the intervention were assessed, as were dose-response effects. Validity analyses of the parent-directed intervention indicated that the theoretical domains were adequately covered and the messages intended for parents were unambiguous. The student and parent questionnaires were also found to be valid and reliable. Data were obtained from 69.1% (n=830) and 24.5% (n=294) of the study sample (n=1201) at the first and second follow-ups respectively. Sample parents were successfully identified at both follow-ups and parent-child communication data were accurately matched (Chapter 6). At the first follow-up parents in Intervention-group 1 were more likely than parents in the Comparison Group, to have ever talked with their Year 6 child about smoking cigarettes; talked more recently; reported high parent-child engagement during such communication; and to have talked about more of the four specified tobacco-related topics in the two weeks prior to data collection. In addition, there were positive dose-response relationships for these dependent variables. While there were no significant differences between study conditions (Intervention- group 2 versus Comparison Group was marginally significant) regarding the duration of the last parent-child discussion about smoking cigarettes, there were positive dose-response effects.
Likewise, compared to Comparison-group parents, those in Intervention-groups 1 and 2 were more likely to have ever talked with their Year 6 child about drinking alcohol at the first follow-up, to Comparison-group parents, those in Intervention-group 1 were also more likely to have talked with their Year 6 children more recently about drinking alcohol. Parents in both of the Intervention Groups were more likely than parents in the Comparison Group, to have reported: talking about drinking alcohol for a longer duration; having higher parent-child engagement during such communication; and talking about more of the three nominated alcohol-related topics. Additionally, there were positive dose-response relationships for the alcohol-related dependent variables. Furthermore, while dose-response effects were evident between the high and/or middle intervention-dose categories and the low-dose category, there were no differences between the middle and high categories for any of the dependent tobacco- or alcohol-related dependent variables. No statistically significant differences were found between the responses of parents who were offered a choice of intervention materials (Intervention-group 1) and those who were not (Intervention-group 2). The overall agreement between parents and their children to equivalent parent-child communication variables, at both baseline and first follow-up was low. Furthermore, the range of parent-child agreement between the items varied considerably. At the first follow-up, however, there appeared to be slightly increased levels of agreement between Intervention-group parents and their children, than there was between Comparison-group parents and their children.
At the second follow-up the proportion of parents who had talked about none of the specified tobacco-related topics was low but there were no significant differences between the study conditions. There were, however, significant differences in the intended direction between study conditions with regard to how many of the specified alcohol-related topics parents reported discussing with their children. The likelihood of Type III error appeared to be minimal and indicators of parent and intervention itself and The findings of this study, discussed in Chapter 7, support the conclusion that parents of 10-11 year-old children are receptive to participating in a home-based drug-related educational intervention. The learn-at-home drug-related educational intervention implemented in this study appeared to have a significant impact on their drug-related communication with their Year 6 children. This study also identified strategies to enhance the recruitment and retention of participants in parent-training interventions, which are challenges inherent in parent-based intervention research. Despite identified limitations, this intervention appears to be a promising approach in the primary prevention of ATOD-related problems in Australia.

The purpose of this study was to obtain information relative to the extent of drug use by high school seniors in Tennessee. Patterns of drug use were obtained by using a questionnaire/opinionnaire developed by Bachman, Johnston, and O'Malley of the Institute for Social Research, Ann Arbor, Michigan. The review of literature focused on patterns of drug use by seniors throughout the nation using the same questionnaire/opinionnaire. The results of the national survey were compared with the findings in Tennessee. The questionnaire was administered to a stratified random sample of 450 seniors in 15 randomly selected high schools in West, Middle, and East Tennessee. The State Department of Education was utilized to select the 15 participating schools. Thirty students, 15 males and 15 females from each school, were selected by using a table of random numbers. A guidance counselor or other designated individual in each school was responsible for administering the questionnaire. The data obtained provided information regarding the extent of drug use by high school seniors in Tennessee. The study revealed that seniors in Tennessee use alcohol less on a lifetime and yearly basis compared with seniors throughout the nation. Monthly rates of alcohol utilization were practically the same. The study further showed that high school seniors in Tennessee were less likely to use marijuana on a lifetime, yearly and monthly basis than seniors in other high schools in the nation and less likely to use stimulants on a lifetime basis. The use of barbiturates, LSD, cocaine and heroin could not be statistically analyzed because of a lack of responses to the survey questions. Additional conclusions drawn as a result of the study are summarized as follows: (1) The main reasons seniors in Tennessee used drugs were: to experiment, to relieve tension, to get high, and to have a good time with friends. (2) The situations in which seniors in Tennessee used drugs were: at home, or at a party, on a date, with one or two other people, and in a car. (3) The drugs most abused in Tennessee were alcohol and marijuana. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)

Prescription opioid abuse in the United States is an alarming health issue. In 2015, approximately 2 million people abused prescription opioids, and 12 million individuals misused their prescription opioid pain relievers. The percentage of individuals who died as a result of opiate abuse increased from 22% in 2013 to 76% in 2014. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the influence of an inner-city drug treatment (DTBF) program on opioid users' behavior. The practice question addressed whether knowledge of signs and symptoms of opioid withdrawal obtained from the DTBF program resulted in a significant behavioral change in opioid use in 45 adults ages 18 to 25. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention framework for program evaluation was used to guide the study. Data were collected using a pretest and posttest with the Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) over a 6-month period. Results of t-test analysis indicated a significant change in drug use (p = .000). Recommendations to clinic administrators included encouraging all staff to use the COWS in screening individuals and observing them at each clinic visit. The implication of this study for social change is that findings may be used to reduce drug abuse and misuse among prescription opioid users.

This study employs interviews to measure the perceptions of sixteen teachers, nine school principals, and seven School Resource Officers on the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program, offered to grade six students in one small (population approximately 70,000) city in western Canada. Perceptions in three areas are examined: curricular content, program delivery, and efficacy. Subjects overwhelming viewed the curricular content favourably. Similarly, there was strong agreement that the program was well delivered. The efficacy of the program was judged less positively; however, this did not mitigate the subjects' strong desire to continue implementation of the program. These results are consistent with the research literature on DARE which documents the popularity of the program, but acknowledges that it appears to have limited effects upon reducing student drug use. The results of this study are used to examine five options for delivering an in-school program for preventing or reducing drug abuse and violence among students. The options explored range from retaining the DARE program in its current form, to eliminating it, reforming it, implementing an alternative program, or designing an entirely new drug and violence prevention program. The conclusion drawn is that the DARE program should be withdrawn and replaced with an entirely new drug and violence prevention program and curriculum specific to community realities and needs.
vii, 109 leaves ; 28 cm.

Educational Administration
Ed.D.
The purpose of this study was to examine the policies and practices of school districts with random drug testing policies in Pennsylvania. Specifically, this study intended to help administrators understand the phenomenon of drug testing as one available means of substance use prevention. In response to the rising drug use in our schools, random drug testing has increasingly become one of the many possible solutions being used to prevent student drug use. Currently, drug testing programs have been examined in the workplace and in intercollegiate athletics. However, very little evaluative research has been conducted on whether school districts are satisfied with their random drug testing policies and practices. The researcher anticipates making a significant contribution for school administrators as they strive to generate drug-free schools. The literature review presented in this research study examined the historical perspective of drug use in our nation and the events and perceptions that led up to the job-related drug testing that began in the military and workplace. The role values play in the policymaking process is discussed as well as any conflicts that arise due to diversity in those values. The costs and benefits of a random drug testing policy are also presented. For this study, random drug testing was examined in the context of a range of school districts within Pennsylvania that have implemented similar policies. Statistical data was utilized in order to collect and analyze superintendents' perspectives and satisfaction with random drug testing programs in order to increase the overall understanding of drug testing as a strategy for prevention. Parents, teachers, coaches, administrators and communities may benefit from this detailed study by way of the recommendations that will be provided for future school leaders and various stakeholders considering the adoption of a random drug testing policy.
Temple University--Theses

Today's academic and social environment creates uncertainties, new roles, frequent changes, and challenging situations for student affairs academic leaders. The purpose of this study was to explore how student affairs academic leaders described their recent challenging experiences in addressing student drug abuse in higher education. The conceptual framework was based on adult transformative learning theory and applied transformative leadership perspectives. An interview format with open-ended questions was used to explore the experiences of 8 student affairs leaders who had faced challenging situations in the context of student drug abuse. A qualitative interpretive analysis was used that involved open coding of significant words and statements that were further classified into themes. Results from the leaders' experiences indicated 4 themes associated with transformative learning: challenge, reflection, constructive dialogue, and action, as well as 7 themes related to transformative leadership: accurate information, collaboration, constructive dialogue, critical reflection, responsibility, support, and vision. Critical reflection and vision were also found to have aided leaders faced with challenging situations. A significant finding was that all participant leaders asserted the importance of applying evidence-based research in the hope of developing positive action for both the students' well-being and the growth of the academic institution. The results of this study have the potential to inform best practice in adult transformative learning and adult transformative leadership, benefiting academic leaders facing challenging situations in their social and academic environments.

One of the most pressing concerns that universities and colleges face today is the drug and alcohol abuse of students. In order to address this, there is a need to strengthen university policies in order to mitigate the increasing rate and cases of drug and alcohol abuse among students. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between college students’ level of awareness of policy, procedure, and interventions on drug and alcohol abuse and their reported drug alcohol use in a selected university. Specifically, this study examined how aware 160 first- to fourth-year college students are regarding the drug and alcohol policies, procedures, and interventions implemented on their college campus. The researcher asked 14 research questions to determine the relationships between students’ reported alcohol and drug use and factors including: awareness of alcohol drug policies and procedures, year level in college, age, ethnic group, marital status, gender, current residence, working status, living arrangement, cumulative GPA, the availability of drugs and alcohol at college parties, student enrollment status, family history of alcohol, and time spent volunteering per month. The researcher administered the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey (CADS) to measure these variables. The results indicated that the factors that had a significant relationship with alcohol and drug use were the awareness of campus policies, marital status, availability of drugs and alcohol at parties, student status, and hours spent volunteering. The rest of the variables did not have a significant relationship to the students’ alcohol and drug use. These results will contribute to more effective alcohol and drug prevention and treatment programs for students that address these significant factors.

This exploratory study examined the knowledge, experience, attitude, and perceptions of drugs reported by international students from mainland China (N = 97) studying on the West Coast of the U.S. and Canada. Chinese students currently constitute the largest group of international students at universities on the West Coast, which is also the epicenter of a major shift in the legal and cultural status of cannabis. Participants’ knowledge, exposure, use, attitudes, and norms of peers’ use of five drugs (cannabis, heroin, ketamine, methamphetamine, and Adderall) were elicited through an online survey. Data were analyzed quantitatively (descriptive statistics, means of paired samples, correlations). Many correlations existed between participants’ attitudes, comments they heard others make, and their beliefs about their peers’ drug use. Participants were most familiar with cannabis; their exposure to others’ comments about and use of cannabis in North America were starkly different than what they had experienced in China. About 10% of the sample had tried cannabis in North America. Students were familiar with heroin and methamphetamine from their experiences in China, and those drugs were viewed extremely negatively. Use of and exposure to ketamine and Adderall were rare, and all drugs were viewed much more negatively when asked in the context of living in China than in North America. Given the current and recent changes in drug laws around the world and students’ reported experience with cannabis, this study underlines the urgency of educating international students regarding drug use as well as informing educational policy at the university level.

Class of 2010 Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of professional pharmacy educational training and occupational student pharmacist training towards the quantity of medication errors attributed to not investigating drug-drug interactions and/or not acknowledging contraindications for medications and treatment. METHODS: The design was a cross-sectional, analytical study of student pharmacists in their first, second, or third year of a four-year Doctor of Pharmacy program. A questionnaire of patient drug interaction scenarios along with student work experience and demographic survey questions was administered to a class of students to complete and return at the time it was administered. It was a prospective study. RESULTS: Questionnaires were completed by 180 students. None of the classes surveyed scored significantly higher than another class. Students with retail experience did not score significantly higher survey scores than those with hospital experience. Finally, when comparing the scores of students with experience in multiple fields, in comparison to those with experience in only one field of pharmacy, it was noted that there was no statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: The amount of professional pharmacy education training and occupational student pharmacist experience was not found to have an affect on a student pharmacist’s ability to prevent medication error that was attributed to either not investigating a drug-drug interaction and/or not acknowledging contraindications for medications and treatment.

PhD
When the problem of young people using illegal drugs for recreation emerged in New South Wales in the 1960s drug education was promoted by governments and experts as a humane alternative to policing. It developed during the 1970s and 1980s as the main hope for preventing drug problems amongst young people in the future. By the 1990s drug policy experts, like their temperance forbears, had become disillusioned with drug education, turning to legislative action for the prevention of alcohol and other drug problems. However, politicians and the community still believed that education was the best solution. Education Departments, reluctant to expose schools to public controversy, met minimal requirements. This thesis examines the ideas about drugs, education and youth that influenced the construction and implementation of policies about drug education in New South Wales between 1965 and 1999. It also explores the processes that resulted in the defining of drug problems and beliefs about solutions, identifying their contribution to policy and the way in which this policy was implemented. The thesis argues that the development of drug education over the last fifty years has been marked by three main cycles of moral panic about youth drug use. It finds that each panic was triggered by the discovery of the use of a new illegal substance by a youth subculture. Panics continued, however, because of the tension between two competing notions of young people’s drug use. In the traditional dominant view ‘drug’ meant illegal drugs, young people’s recreational drug use was considered to be qualitatively different to that of adults, and illegal drugs were the most serious and concerning problem. In the newer alternative ‘public health’ view which began developing in the 1960s, illicit drug use was constructed as part of normal experimentation, alcohol, tobacco and prescribed medicines were all drugs, and those who developed problems with their use were sick, not bad. These public health principles were formulated in policy documents on many occasions. The cycles of drug panic were often an expression of anxiety about the new approach and they had the effect of reasserting the dominant view. The thesis also finds that the most significant difference between the two discourses lies in the way that alcohol is defined, either as a relatively harmless beverage or as a drug that is a major cause of harm. Public health experts have concluded that alcohol poses a much greater threat to the health and safety of young people than illegal drugs. However, parents, many politicians and members of the general community have believed for the last fifty years that alcohol is relatively safe. Successive governments have been influenced by the economic power of the alcohol industry to support the latter view. Thus the role of alcohol and its importance to the economy in Australian society is a significant hindrance in reconciling opposing views of the drug problem and developing effective drug education. The thesis concludes that well justified drug education programs have not been implemented fully because the rational approaches to drug education developed by experts have not been supported by the dominant discourse about the drug problem. Politicians have used drug education as a populist strategy to placate fear but the actual programs that have been developed attempt to inform young people and the community about the harms and benefits of all drugs. When young people take up the use of a new mood altering drug, the rational approach developed by public health experts provokes intense anxiety in the community and the idea that legal substances such as alcohol, tobacco and prescribed drugs can cause serious harm to young people is rejected in favour of an approach that emphasizes the danger of illegal drug use.

Master of Science
Curriculum and Instruction Programs
F. Todd Goodson
This study analyzes the power of rhetorical forms from a historical perspective. Ronald Reagan's presidency (1981-1989) will serve as the historical time period used for analysis. By looking at President Ronald Reagan‘s ―War on Drugs, this study provides historical research on the legislative initiatives leading up to this war, as well as on the various aspects of Reagan‘s drug policies. In addition, this study also outlines concurrent educational policies respectively. This background information provides a foundation for examining the role of education within the -War on Drugs, as well as how rhetorical similarities between Reagan‘s drug and education policies are indicative of his administration‘s larger aims and beliefs.

The problem of the study was to determine the status of bloodborne pathogen education for injection drug users in Indiana hospital emergency departments. The study was designed to answer the following research questions: (a) Do Indiana hospital emergency departments have written policies on bloodborne pathogen education for injection drug users? (b) To what extent do Indiana hospital emergency departments provide bloodborne pathogen education for injection drug users? and (c) What are the major barriers for Indiana hospital emergency departments in providing bloodborne pathogen education for injection drug users?A valid instrument was developed and sent to 110 Indiana hospital emergency department nurse managers. Forty-six instruments were returned for a response rate of 43.8%.The results indicated only three (7.1 %) responding hospital emergency departments had written bloodborne pathogen educational policies. Ten (20.8%) emergency departments provided some form of bloodborne pathogen education for injection drug users. Major barriers indicated for not providing patient education consisted of insufficient monetary resources, injection drug users denying a drug history, and emergency department nurses being unable to identify injection drug usage.
Department of Physiology and Health Science

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wollongong, 2005.
Typescript. This thesis is subject to a two year embargo until 17/11/2007 and may only be viewed and copied with the permission of the author. For further information please Contact the Archivist. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 226-249.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors that affect the use of marijuana by juveniles and how outside influences such as peer pressure, race, parental influence, and prevention programs such as the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) contribute to the use of marijuana by juveniles. All of the variables used in this study came from the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) data collected by Esbensen and Osgood (1999). The analysis indicated that juveniles are most influenced by their peers such as friends, that African American juveniles would be less likely than Whites and Hispanics to become regular users of marijuana, that juveniles living with both parents would be less likely to use marijuana compared to those with alternative living conditions, and that the programs such as the D.A.R.E. program would have little long-term effect on marijuana usage by juveniles.

This thesis is an analysis of a curriculum development process used to train youth workers to raise and respond to alcohol issues. Within an interpretivist framework, a seven-stage model of curriculum planning was developed. Stage 1 involved examination of the literature on youth work and alcohol and youth work training, an empirical needs assessment study (via a national survey and in-depth consultation in one youth service) and examination of the results in relation to the literature on young people and alcohol. Stage 2 used the stage 1 data to define the rationale, which in turn informed stages 3-5, formulation of aims and learning outcomes, learning activities and teaching resources. Stage 6, delivery, involved pilot courses in in- service and initial-training contexts. Illuminative evaluation was used to assess the training process (Stage 7) and its impact on youth worker practice. The staged model was found to be a practical curriculum development framework, particularly combined with an action-research approach. The study confirmed the importance of thorough training needs assessment, including the needs of service users. Youth workers were found to typically adopt a reactive approach to alcohol issues, which focused on individual young drinkers rather than structural determinants of alcohol-related harm. The pilot courses were successful in stimulating planned alcohol education initiatives. Features of training that enabled youth workers to tackle alcohol issues included: a clear rationale based on youth work principles, harm-reduction goals, understanding the place and meaning of alcohol in young people's lives, a practice focus and managerial support. The study discusses the implications of the findings for youth work training and informal education practice and suggests a strategy for fixture development of the alcohol training materials.