Sequences of Drug Involvement in African-American and Puerto Rican Adolescents

• NCJ Number: 154367
• Journal: Psychological Reports Volume: 71 Dated: (1992) Pages: 179-182
• Author(s): J S Brook; B A Hamburg; E B Balka; P S Wynn
• Date Published: 1992
• Length: 4 pages
• Grant Number(s): DA05702-04; DA00094
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: DCC

Annotation

This study examined stages in drug involvement of 695 black adolescents and 637 Puerto Rican adolescents, all attending schools in New York City, mainly in the East Harlem area.

Abstract

Approximately 3 weeks before the questionnaires were administered, motivation sessions were held for classroom groups of 20 to 30 students. Approximately 80 percent of the youths in school for these sessions completed the questionnaires. The structured questionnaires contained items focusing on both legal and illegal drugs. Findings indicated that adolescents progress through several stages of drug involvement: beer/wine, cigarettes or hard liquor, then marijuana, and, finally, illicit drugs other than marijuana. The sequence of drug involvement for both ethnic groups appears to be both unidimensional and cumulative. 6 references (Author abstract modified)