High School Drug Use Research Articles

High school drug use predicts job-related outcomes at age 29

The present study examines the relationship between hard drug use in high school and occupational and job quality outcomes measured at approximately age 29. We use two different methods aimed at ruling out the possibility of spurious correlations between high school drug use and occupational outcomes: (1) directly controlling for pre-high school characteristics that may affect both high school drug use and later occupational characteristics (e.g., educational orientation, early drug use and deviant behavior); and (2) matching high school users with a subset of nonusers that have very similar characteristics and then estimating the difference in labor market outcomes for these two groups (i.e., propensity score matching). Overall, the results suggest that adolescent drug use is linked with poorer occupational and job quality outcomes as much as 10 years after high school. Interestingly, which job-related outcomes are affected by early hard drug use varies by gender. Females who use hard drugs as adolescents end up in lower skill, lower status jobs while males who use hard drugs as adolescents are more likely to end up in jobs with fewer benefits (e.g., health, retirement).

The relationship between drug and alcohol use and peer group associations of college freshmen as they transition from high school.

College freshmen responded to a drug and alcohol questionnaire. For drugs other than alcohol and marijuana, the best predictor of drug use at the beginning of college is drug use during a typical month of the senior year of high school. College freshmen, however, use marijuana less frequently than they did in high school and the use of alcoholic beverages increases early in college. While the frequency of alcohol use increases considerably, college freshmen do not increase the number of times they got drunk. It has been hypothesized that the likely change in peer relations between high school and college would alter subsequent rates of drug and alcohol use. However, the data shows that college and high school drug use are very similar and entering freshmen found new friends much like their high school friends to use drugs with and get drunk. Therefore, alcohol and drug use may be important determining factors in the choice of new college friends.

Trend analyses of four large-scale surveys of high school drug use 1977-1986.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the trends for almost a decade of self report drug survey data collected from high school students. Four large-scale surveys were conducted at three-year intervals beginning in 1977. The four cohort samples consisted of eleventh grade students from area high schools in Northeast Ohio. Frequency of usage, reason for taking drugs, and perceived harmfulness of fourteen categories of drugs are presented. Sex differences in drug use and perceived harmfulness are reported. The most recent survey questionnaire in 1986 also included several questions about smokeless tobacco use. It is important for researchers to be continuously vigilant in the assessment of the drug abuse problem since intervention and prevention strategies follow closely the sociodynamics of age, sex, knowledge of health risk factors, type of drug being used, and reason for taking drugs. The collection of trend data is essential in providing “benchmark” guides for the interpretation of single survey results [1]. Wolford and Swisher have indicated that knowledge of trends is useful in planning and developing drug programs [2].

Changes in drug use from high school to young adulthood: Effects of living arrangement and current life pursuit

Using longitudinal data, this study traces changes in drug use patterns from adolescence to young adulthood, and examines these changes in terms of role socialization theory. In high school, 479 students reported their frequency of use for a variety of drug substances. Four years later, they again responded to the same set of drug use questions, indicated their current life pursuit and living arrangements. Approximately 60% of the variance in adult drug use was accounted for by high school drug use, indicating a moderate level of stability across time. Cannabis use (marijuana and hashish) decreased significantly during that period, whereas dramatic increases were noted for cigarette, alcohol, and cocaine use. Both living arrangement and life pursuit significantly impacted on the change in drug use from high school to young adulthood for all substances except nonprescription medication. Both social environment (living arrangements) and role responsibility (life pursuit) contributed to understanding the change in drug use from adolescence to young adult. These results are discussed in regard to role socialization and the unique challenges and tasks of the transition from adolescence to young adulthood. Policy and prevention implications are discussed.

Drug use, educational aspirations, and work force involvement: the transition from adolescence to young adulthood.

The impact of high school drug use and academic potential on high school outcome (graduate or dropout) and young adult work force involvement, college involvement, and educational aspirations was examined. Frequency of drug use, grade point average, and educational plans were assessed for 479 adolescents while in high school. Four years later this same group of individuals, now in their early 20s, reported their current level of drug use, present life involvement on a variety of measures, and whether they had ever graduated from high school. Results indicate that high school graduation is predicted from a lack of cigarette and hard drug use and the presence of high academic aspirations. Using latent variable causal models, it was found that high school Academic Potential and Drug Use were significantly correlated in a negative direction. Across-time analyses indicate that high school Academic Potential significantly predicted young adult Educational Aspirations, College Involvement, and college attendance. High school Drug Use significantly predicted young adult Drug Use, a lack of College Involvement, and increased Work Force Involvement. These results do not support a psychogenic hypothesis of drug use and academic potential but rather confirm an impaired abilities or general deviance interpretation.

Patterns of Drug Use among Mexican-American Potential School Dropouts

The following is a study of drug use, knowledge, and attitudes of drugs among a small sample of Mexican-American students in a large metropolitan area school environment. These students, identified by the school officials as potential dropouts, are characteristic of those usually underrepresented in most high school drug use surveys because of their absenteeism and lack of interest in school activities. Results of the study suggest that cigarettes, marijuana, and alcohol (hard as well as beer or wine) are used by the majority of students. Reported use of other drugs is considerably lower but still high enough to cause concern. The extent of “social drug” and marijuana use by these potential dropouts is higher than that reported in other studies; for instance, reported marijuana usage is about twice as high as reported by most other studies. In addition, among students who use drugs, social drugs and marijuana are being used more than during the preceding year. Boys and girls appear to be characterized by different patterns of drug use and attitudes, including use of LSD and amphetamines more by girls than boys and use of marijuana and alcohol more by boys.

Test-retest reliability and validity information for a high school drug use questionnaire

This study reports test-retest reliability and validity information for an anonymous high school drug use questionnaire. All drug use items were highly reliable in testings on the same students eight weeks apart. Composite drug scores were also highly reliable. A nine-item lie scale gave virtually identical results on the two testings. The majority of students regardless of the frequency of their drug use stated that they would honestly report their cannabis and opium/heroin use. There was little evidence of defensiveness judging by the lie scores.

A typology of high school drug use: medicinal usage, mood-modification, and tripping.

A typology of high school drug use: medicinal usage, mood-modification, and tripping.