Adolescent Precursors of Intensity of Marijuana and Other Illicit Drug Use Among Adult Initiators

This study examined (a) adolescent psychosocial risk factors for frequency (intensity) of marijuana use and for other illicit drug use among those who started using these drugs in early adulthood (adult initiators) and (b) the protective role of parent-adolescent relations in reducing or preventing drug use when adolescents enter early adulthood. The study's participants were male and female youth from a longitudinal prospective study. The participants' mean ages were 17 and 22 years at late adolescence and early adulthood, respectively. Independent measures assessed personality, parental, peer, and self-drug-use factors during late adolescence; dependent measures assessed frequency of marijuana use and other illicit drug use during early adulthood for initiators of the respective drug categories. The authors found that intensity of marijuana use was directly associated with the personality, parental, and self-drug-use domains and indirectly associated with the peer domain. Intensity of other illicit drug use was directly associated with personality and self-drug use. Analyses also revealed that some parent-adolescent relations factors buffered the effects of risk factors for both marijuana and other illicit drug-use intensity, whereas others enhanced the effects of protective factors against other illicit drug-use intensity. The results indicate that there are both commonalities and differences in precursors of marijuana and other illicit drug-use intensity among initiators of these drugs during early adulthood.     

“PERHAPS YOU ONLY KISSED HER?”: A Contrapuntal Reading of the Penalties for Illicit Sex in the Sunni Hadith Literature

The goal of this essay is to illustrate how Ebrahim Moosa's method of “contrapuntal reading” can be applied fruitfully to the Sunni hadith literature. My case study is the set of penalties (hudud) for illicit sex, which include flogging, stoning, and banishment. I propose a fresh reading of these sacred texts that brings to the fore the ethical dimension of Prophet Muhammad's conduct, especially his strong reluctance to apply these measures. I conclude by identifying four ethical problems that the stoning penalty raises and suggest how the hadith literature can be read to argue against the validity of this specific punishment.     

Individual Differences as Predictors of Illicit Drug Use Among Turkish College Students

ABSTRACT

Although the prevalence of drug use in the young adult population in Turkey is still far below the figures reported for most European Union countries and the United States, there seems to be a noteworthy increase in drug use, especially among high school and college students. The purpose of the present study was to examine the extent of drug use among college students in Turkey and to identify some of the individual-difference variables associated with drug use. Participants were 781 college students. A survey package including (a) measures of sensation seeking–risk taking, self-esteem, affectivity level, global mental health, overall life satisfaction, and the rate and nature of substance use and (b) demographic questions was administered to the participants during regularly held class meetings. A logistic regression analysis revealed that sensation seeking?risk taking, parental education level, smoking, and frequency of alcohol use predicted illicit drug experience. Implications of the findings and limitations of the study are discussed using the context of the study as a framework.     

Consumer behaviour in an unregulated market: the satisfactions and dissatisfactions of illicit drug consumption

Here the case of recreational drug consumption by youths in the West of Scotland is applied to evaluate some prevailing models of consumer satisfaction and dissatisfaction (CS/D). The findings suggest dissatisfactory and satisfactory outcomes do not always result in the types of future consumption behaviours proposed by some models of consumer CS/D. Although, as some models of CS/D suggest, satisfactory experiences tended to reinforce the desire to repeat consumption, when consumption was dissatisfactory, users tended to employ several strategies to justify further use. Whereas users attributed positive or pleasurable experiences to the narcotic effect of the substances consumed, dissatisfactory outcomes were attributed to other factors. Users develop sophisticated responses to dissatisfaction, such as deferment and denial. The findings have important implications for some theories and models of CS/D for consumer expectation: in particular, the effect of dissatisfactory experiences on future consumption intentions. Copyright © 2002 Henry Stewart Publications.     

Correlates of illicit drug use among university students in Africa and the Caribbean

The goal of this study was to estimate the prevalence and correlates of illicit drug use (IDU) among university students from eight countries in Africa and three countries in the Caribbean. In a cross-sectional survey, data were collected from 7 017 undergraduate university students (mean age 21.1, SD = 2.7, age range of 18–30 years) from 11 countries. Overall, 17.2% and 3.5% reported infrequent (1–9 times) and frequent (10 or more times) IDU in the past 12 months. In multivariate logistic regression models, residing on or off campus on their own, living in an upper middle or high income country, current tobacco use, binge drinking, and having been in a physical fight in the past 12 months were associated with both frequent and infrequent IDU. In addition, higher intrinsic religiosity and older age was found to be protective from infrequent IDU and associated with never using illicit drugs. The influences on IDU identified may be utilised for the design and implementation of social intervention programmes to curtail IDU by college students.     

Teenagers and illicit drug use—expanding the ‘user vs non-user’ dichotomy

The present study examines proximal and distal factors associated with the use and non-use of illegal substances within a sample of 860 teenagers in North Wales. Arguing that there is predictive utility in expanding the traditional ‘users vs non-users’ design dichotomy, four groups are identified — resistant and vulnerable non-users and experimental and repeated users. ‘Person’ variables (life satisfaction, deviance, hopelessness and drug-related attributions) appeared to primarily differentiate the vulnerable group from their resistant counterparts and identify this, as yet non-using group, with user samples. It is suggested that these variables might represent ‘risk’ factors for illicit substance use and that the group design employed suggests they precede, rather than follow as a consequence of, illicit drug use. Like their resistant counterparts however, the vulnerable group are differentiated from user samples on some lifestyle and context indices. It is argued that these represent ‘protective’ influences in an otherwise at-risk group of non-users. Variables associated with an escalation of illicit drug use are discussed in considering the differences between the experimental and repeated user groups. Apart from the more proximal factor of drug-related attributions, ‘person’ variables appeared less involved here. Repeated users did however, tend to use a greater number of drugs, have a greater proportion of friends who also used illegal substances and significantly fewer had a Welsh cultural identity.     

The Experience of Religion and Spirituality Among College Students Who Use Illicit Substances

Nine collegiate illicit substance users participated in a phenomenological study of their perceptions of religion, spirituality, and substance use. We identified three themes from the interviews: (a) development of substance-using behaviors, (b) journey with religion and spirituality, and (c) intersectionality of substance use and religious and spiritual journeys. The participants voiced a complex bidirectional relationship among use behaviors, religion, and spirituality that could be facilitative, adverse, or divergent. We provide implications and suggestions for future research.     

The 40 Members of the Toronto 18: Group Boundaries and the Analysis of Illicit Networks

Increases in studies on the network dynamics of crime groups and co-offending has led many scholars to reflect on potential measurement biases arising from a reliance on official data sources. A problem of official data is that it forces boundaries on criminal groups that are much more fluid and dynamic than they seem. Drawing from interviews with an individual embedded in a terrorist organization and court documents records, we apply longitudinal network methods to examine the extent to which official data influences assessments of a criminal group. Findings show that only a minority of participants interacting with the group were charged for a crime. Yet the majority had an impact on the evolution of the group. Ignoring non-criminal affiliates masks the full scope of covert groups and the variation that can assist in understanding how groups emerge and evolve.     

Illicit Drug Use,Cognitive Distortions,and Suicidal Ideation Among Homeless Youth: Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial

Illicit drug use and cognitive distortions confer significant risks to youth suicidal thoughts and behaviors. However, there has been limited evidence regarding the efficacy of suicide prevention interventions with homeless youth, especially studies testing whether such interventions can reduce the risk for suicidal ideation associated with illicit drug use. Suicidal homeless youth (N = 150) between the ages of 18 to 24 years were recruited from a drop-in center. Youth were randomly assigned to Cognitive Therapy for Suicide Prevention (CTSP) + Treatment as Usual (TAU) or TAU alone. Youth reported their illicit drug use, cognitive distortions, and suicidal ideation 4 times over 9 months. A multiple-group multilevel structural equation model showed that higher illicit drug use at baseline predicted a slower reduction in cognitive distortions and suicidal ideation in the TAU group. These associations were not found in the CTSP + TAU group, suggesting an interruption of such risk from illicit drug use. Findings suggest that CTSP can reduce the risk of illicit drug use as a treatment barrier towards cognitive distortions and suicidal ideation among homeless youth, with implications to improve treatment efforts and to reduce premature mortality in a vulnerable population.