SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY INFLUENCES ON ADOLESCENT ALCOHOL AND DRUG-USE

Social environmental risk factors present in schools and communities h ave not been thoroughly investigated, This study cross-sectionally exa mined the social environments of schools and communities, and their in fluence on adolescent alcohol and drug use, Survey responses of eighth grade students (N = 2309), a random half of their parents (n = 943), community leaders (n = 118), school principals (n = 30), school counse lors (n = 30) and chemical health providers (n = 14) were pooled to cr eate indices of social environmental norms, role models, social suppor t and opportunities for non-use of alcohol, Each index was examined fo r its association with prevalences from 30 schools of alcohol use onse t, last-month alcohol use, heavy alcohol use and last-year marijuana u se in univariate and stepwise regression analyses, Increases in the le vels of norms, role models and opportunities for non-use predicted dec reases in alcohol use prevalences. The explanatory power of the examin ed constructs in multivariate analyses was acceptably high (R-2: 38-53 %), These findings further support the notion that community-wide effo rts need to be launched to affect changes in the normative, role model and opportunity structures of adolescents' social environments in ord er to curb adolescent alcohol and drug use.