NCJ Number
213152
Journal
Drug and Alcohol Review Volume: 24 Issue: 6 Dated: November 2005 Pages: 515-523
Date Published
November 2005
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Study findings are presented from a comparative study on youth substance use behavior in the countries of Australia and the United States.
Abstract
The study found that rates of lifetime alcohol use and recent use were higher in Victoria, Australia, while indicators of norm-violating substance use were lower relative to the States of Maine and Oregon in the United States. Yet, binge drinking was relatively uncommon within each of the three States. Elevated rates of binge drinking were very evident among the older students in Victoria compared to Maine and Oregon. A significant finding was that Victoria had higher rates of binge drinking, breaching harm minimization guidelines encouraging moderate use. It is viewed as beneficial in the area of intervention efforts to identify cross-national similarities and differences in adolescent substance use behaviors. This study examined cross-national differences in patterns of youth alcohol and other drug use in Australia and the United States. Three hypotheses guided the study: (1) the prevalence rates of lifetime alcohol use and recent alcohol use in childhood and early adolescence were expected to be lower in the United States relative to Australia; (2) fewer young people were expected to use alcohol above recommended limits in Australia; and (3) lower levels of norm-violating substance use behavior were expected in Australia. Participants of the study were students from Victoria in Australia and Maine and Oregon in the United States. The survey instrument used in the study was adapted and extended from the Communities that Care (CTC) Youth Survey. Tables, figures, references