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Yan Wang, MD and Fernando Wagner, ScD. Drug Abuse Research Program and Public Health Program, Morgan State University, 1700 East Cold Spring Lane, Montebello Complex, D-103, Baltimore, MD 21251, 443-885-3629, wangyan0818@hotmail.com
Introduction. Gateway models are used to describe sequential stages of drug involvement (Kandel, 1975). The concept of drug exposure opportunities is one mechanism to help explain the gateway phenomena (Helzer & Anthony, 1995; Wilcox et al., 2002; Wagner & Anthony, 2002). Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) offer a special environment to African American youth. However, it is not clear how gateway models and the concept of exposure opportunity might help understand drug involvement in this environment. Methods. A total of 10,803 freshmen of 35 HBCUs participated in a self-administered paper-and-pencil survey. The analyses were stratified to account for differences across colleges that could produce confounded results. Results. An estimated 54 percent of the students had opportunities to use marijuana, and 8 percent cocaine. In turn, 34 percent, and 2 percent, reported using marijuana, and cocaine, correspondingly, at least once in their lifetime. Students who have used alcohol/tobacco were more likely to have opportunities to use marijuana than non-tobacco/alcohol users. Once the opportunities occurred, tobacco/alcohol users were more likely to actually use marijuana. Similarly, students who have used marijuana were more likely to have cocaine opportunities, and also were more likely to actually use cocaine than non-users of marijuana. Comment. The concept of an intermediate step of exposure to opportunities can help understand how the psychosocial environment is associated with stages of drug involvement among minority college students. Acknowledgements: NIDA grant DA12390, and The National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Substance Use Consortium.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: African American, Drug Use
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.