THE TEMPERANCE MENTALITY - A COMPARISON OF UNIVERSITY-STUDENTS IN 7 COUNTRIES

In response to a 'temperance mentality' questionnaire university stude nts from Iran, Bulgaria, the United States, and Italy expressed more s upport for 'temperance moralism' than did students from Canada, Irelan d, and the Netherlands. OM the other hand, students from all seven cou ntries generally supported 'non-moralistic drug prohibitionism,' an at titude that appears more compatible with the contemporary harm-reducti on movement. In every sample, students expressed more support for temp erance items that were directed towards drugs and alcohol than they di d for items that were directed at alcohol alone. We argue that underst anding the ''temperance mentality'' on a transnational level may help society to avoid repeating some of the drug policy excesses of the pas t.