Risk and Protective Factors for Drug Use Among Rural American Youth

Abstract

Rural and urban America differ in many ways, but drug use is a common phenomenon throughout the country. There may be differences in the extent, social contexts, and consequences of use, but, in general, drugs are as much a problem in rural America as they are in cities. Commonality between urban and rural areas also appears when the personal and social risk factors for drug use are examined: Many of the same characteristics relate to drug use among both urban or rural adolescents.