NCJ Number
64778
Date Published
Unknown
Length
25 pages
Annotation
A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF THE CHEYENNE, (WYO.), POPULATION WAS SURVEYED TO DETERMINE ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS OF PERSONS LIVING IN SMALL TOWNS CONCERNING PROBLEMS OF DRUG ABUSE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
Abstract
DURING JULY 1977, A RANDOM SAMPLE OF 1,152 ADULT RESIDENTS OF CHEYENNE, (WYO), WAS INTERVIEWED BY TELEPHONE THROUGH THE USE OF THE RANDOM DIGIT DIALING TECHNIQUE TO DETERMINE THEIR OPINIONS AND KNOWLEDGE OF VARIOUS ASPECTS OF DRUG ABUSE, AND PARTICULARLY HEROIN ABUSE, IN THEIR TOWN. THE INTERVIEWS ALSO FOCUSED ON RESPONDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN CHEYENNE, BELIEFS ABOUT THE HARMFULNESS OF VARIOUS OTHER DRUGS, AND ATTITUDES TOWARD THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A DRUG ABUSE TREATMENT PROGRAM. RESPONSES TO ALL QUESTIONS WERE SUBJECTED TO MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSIS TO ACCOUNT FOR SUBSTANTIAL VARIATION IN RESPONSES ACCORDING TO AGE, EDUCATION, AND SEX, AND WHETHER OR NOT THE RESPONDENT HAD KNOWN SOMEONE WHO HAD USED HEROIN. RESULTS SHOWED DRUG ABUSE RANKED FOURTH AS A PERCEIVED SERIOUS COMMUNITY PROBLEM; BUT INTERVIEWS WITH LOWER EDUCATIONAL LEVELS AND YOUNGER PERSONS TENDED TO RANK DRUG ABUSE AS THE MOST SERIOUS PROBLEM. ALCOHOL USE WAS FELT TO BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM BY MORE PERSONS THAN ANY OTHER SUBSTANCE (54.8 PERCENT), FOLLOWED BY MARIJUANA USE (40.1 PERCENT) AND HEROIN USE (38.0 PERCENT). MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSIS INDICATED THAT THOSE MOST LIKELY TO FEEL THAT HEROIN USE WAS A SERIOUS CHEYENNE PROBLEM WERE OLDER PERSONS, PERSONS WITH LESS EDUCATION, AND PERSONS WHO HAD KNOWN A HEROIN USER. THE GREATEST NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS BELIEVED THAT MOST HEROIN USERS IN CHEYENNE WERE EITHER TEENAGERS OR YOUNG ADULTS FROM THE MIDDLE INCOME GROUP WHO HAD GROWN UP OUTSIDE WYOMING. THE GREAT MAJORITY OF RESPONDENTS WERE BASICALLY FAVORABLE TOWARD ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW PROGRAM IN CHEYENNE TO TREAT HEROIN USERS, WITH 60.7 PERCENT STATING THEY WOULD NOT OBJECT TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SUCH A PROGRAM ON THEIR OWN BLOCK. RESULTS OF THE CHEYENNE STUDY WERE COMPARED WITH A SIMILAR STUDY CONDUCTED IN WASHINGTON, D.C. THIS OPINION SURVEY IN CHEYENNE WAS CONDUCTED AS PART OF A LARGER PROJECT DESIGNED TO ASCERTAIN THE IMPACT OF A NEW DRUG ABUSE TREATMENT PROGRAM UPON THE INCIDENCE AND PREVALENCE OF HEROIN USE IN CHEYENNE. TABLES AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED.