Although efforts to document substance use among adolescent detainees are made quarterly through the National Institute of Justice program, ADAM (Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program)1, generalizability of these data is limited due to the small number of sites. The purpose of this study was to assess substance use in a southeastern sample of adolescent detainees. Eight hundred and sixty youth recruited from two youth detention centers in Georgia underwent informed assent procedures with project staff. Letters were then sent to parents or guardians informing them of the study. Passive parental/guardian consent was used to enroll youth in the SHARP (Stop HIV and Alcohol Related Problems) project. Face-to-face baseline interviews were conducted in a private setting by trained interviewers. Interviews encompassed several measures including demographics and substance use. Young women made up 52% of the sample, and participants ranged in age from 11 to 18 (M=15.2; SD=1.1). Fifty-four percent of the sample was black, and 38% were white. Marijuana and alcohol were the two highest reported substances used in this sample, 62% and 54% respectively. A quarter of the youth used marijuana between 20 and 31 days of the month prior to entering the facility. Approximately 20% used alcohol once or twice during the month in question. These data follow the substance use trend reported by ADAM among juvenile detainees. In addition, alcohol use is documented. These findings speak highly to the need for more comprehensive substance use interventions with these youth.
11999 Annual Report on Drug Use Among Adult and Juvenile Arrestees
Learning Objectives: 1. To document preliminary findings of substance use among a sample of adolescent detainees 2. To provide data supporting the need for substance use interventions for confined youth
Keywords: Adolescents, Drug Use
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.