adults: highest rates in American Indians and Alaskan Natives, blue-collar workers, and military personnel

adolescents: increased in 1990s after years of declining rates

peak adolescent use in first part of 1990s

general decline since 1996

cohort effects evidence

general decline in prevalence:

 7.7% 8th graders

12.7% 10th graders

19.2% 12th graders

marijuana is most prevalent:

11.75% 8th graders

25.2% 10th graders

31.5% 12th graders

holding steady: LSD, cocaine, meth, heroin, narcotics, tranquilizers, steroids, "club drugs"

increasing: ecstasy, OxyContin, vicodin, inhalant, over the counter medicines, prescription drugs

47% 12th graders have tried

22% 12th graders are current smokers

25% 8th graders have tried

9% 8th graders are current smokers

overall declines

increased perceived risk and disapproval of smoking

73% tried alcohol by end of high school

41% tried alcohol by 8th grade

56% 12th graders report being drunk at least once

20% 8th graders report being drunk at least once

most widely used substance

demographics

social groups

emotional

genetics

self-efficacy

barriers

benefits

predicts a person's success or failure in achieving a proposed behavior change

looks at stages of change

currently most popular stage model in health psychology

looks at the links between attitudes and behavior

one of the most predictive persuasion theories

focus on adolescent

media

focuses on:

"scare tactics"

risks and outcomes

focus on adolescent

school based

focuses on:

skills building

changing norms

48% have tried illicit drug by end of high school

27% have used illicit drug other than marijuana

71% of seniors have not used illicit drug other than marijuana

51% never tried marijuana

new focus on prescription-type drugs