Modified Stages of Acquisition of gateway drug use: A primary prevention application of the stages of change model

The purpose of the study was to identify the stages of acquisition of gatew ay drugs in fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. The Stages of Acquisition mod el is a primary prevention application of the Stages of Change model. The s ubjects in the study were 811 students from seventeen elementary schools in Arkansas and Missouri. The instrument elicited information regarding the s tages of acquisition and individual self-reported drug use. The data were a nalyzed using frequency, distribution, discriminant analysis, and correlati on analyses. Stage placement was confirmed using a series of drug use measu res. Results confirmed the existence of discrete stages of acquisition. Res ults supported the concept of gateway drugs in that subjects indicated they had progressed further through the stages of acquisition of alcohol use th an through the stages of acquisition of cigarettes use, smokeless tobacco u se, or marijuana use.