Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R G Smart

Publications and source records attributed to R G Smart.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

A review of trends in alcohol and cannabis use among young people.

This review identifies recent trend studies in alcohol and cannabis use among young people in an attempt to define increases over time, demographic subgroups where changes have taken place, possible future trends and areas where there is a lack of current information. Trend studies on alcohol use are described for eight countries: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Mexico, Norway, Sweden and the United States of America. Only four countries: Australia, Canada, Norway and the United States of America had trend studies of cannabis use. Rates of alcohol use are reported to have reached a peak and per capita alcohol consumption to have stabilized or decreased in many Western countries since 1975-1976. Rates of cannabis use are reported to have increased remarkably from the late 1960s to the late 1970s although the hazards of cannabis use are becoming more widely recognized.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Drug use and drug problems among teenagers in a household sample.

Studies of drug use among young persons have typically employed students or special high risk groups rather than general samples. This study reports drug use among a household sample of persons aged 14 to 18. The results indicate that cannabis was the most frequently used drug. Factors associated with drug problems were: being older, living in cities, not participating in religious activities and being a worker rather than a student. Very few of those with problems had been treated or felt the need for any treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Generational and other differences between males and females in problem drinking and its treatment.

The demographic and social characteristics, drinking patterns and dependency, and problem symptoms of a representative sample of 993 adults were surveyed using a stratified household interview schedule. The data suggest important generational differences in drinking problems among the sexes. The next generation is likely to have far more female problem drinkers than the present one given the current age differences and the trend towards more women working.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Cannabis use and alcohol problems among adults and students.

Earlier studies have indicated that cannabis use and alcohol problems should be related. This paper reports a test of this hypothesis using multivariable analyses with two separate samples--one adult and one student. In both analyses alcohol problems were the best predictors of cannabis use. The results indicate the need to consider cannabis use to be often part of a larger set of problems around drugs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Intervention approaches for rural opium users.

The rate of addiction among adults in the opium-growing areas of South East Asia and the Middle EAst varies between 3 per cent and 10 per cent. Supply-reduction efforts alone have rarely been successful and programmes aimed concurrently to reduce demand are now being initiated. Primary health care is considered a prerequisite for the success of demand-reduction programmes and includes the training of primary health care workers to assist in prevention programmes as well as in the treatment and rehabilitation of addicted persons. This supply-demand-reduction approach will require careful evaluation of its effectiveness.

Agriculture↗
PubMed1979

Drinking problems among employed, unemployed and shift workers.

This study investigated the relationships between drinking problems and the following: current employment status, current occupation, unemployment, shift work and alcohol-related problems. The study involved a household survey of 993 persons in Durham, an area near Toronto. A scale of 17 alcohol problems and symptoms was used. It was found that the highest rates of problems were among shift workers and the unemployed. The workers most likely to have serious problems were in processing/manufacturing, transport, artistic/literary/recreational and sales areas. Males with serious problems and shift workers reported drinking more when unemployed. Sanctions for work-related drinking problems, even for those with serious dependency, were rarely applied. This study suggests that priority targets for programs to assist employees with drinking problems should be males in processing/manufacturing, transport, artistic/literary/recreational areas and sales.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Parental and peer influences as correlates of problem drinking among high school students.

This study was concerned with the relative importance of parental, peer, and demographic variables in predicting problem drinking among young people. A survey of drinking and drinking problems was conducted among 1,439 students in two schools in Ontario. A Multiple Classification Analysis was employed to identify variables with a significant and unique predictive power. It was found that problem drinking is best predicted with situational factors and those directly connected with drinking. Parental and peer variables had little unique predictive power. Problem drinkers were more often male, had their first drinks away from home, and usually drank in cars.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Multiple predictors of dropout from alcoholism treatment.

A common problem in treating alcoholics is the high dropout rate. Many studies have identified individual factors associated with dropout, eg, poor motivation and previous dropout. We believe the present study reports the first major effort to use multivariate analyses to predict dropout in a large (792), one-year follow-up study of alcoholics, and examines the possibility that medical and nonmedical treatments lead to differential dropout rates. A multiple classification analysis technique showed that treatment variables as opposed to client characteristics were the best predictors of dropout. Patients remaining in treatment were more likely to have a variety of medical interventions, eg, medication and medical assessment, than those who dropped out. Results were similar to studies using other techniques and have interesting implications for the treatment of alcoholics, raising questions about current trends toward nonmedical treatment of alcoholism.

Alcoholism↗