Objective: To compare European students' personal use and approval of illicit substance use with their perceptions of peer behaviours and attitudes, and investigate whether perceptions of peer norms are associated with personal use of illicit substances and attitudes.
Method: This study used baseline data from the Social Norms Intervention for the prevention of Polydrug usE (SNIPE) project involving 4482 students from seven European countries in 2012. Students completed an online survey which included questions on personal and perceived peer illicit substance use and personal and perceived peer attitude towards illicit substances.
Results: 8.3% of students reported having used illicit substances at least once in their life. 49.7% of students perceived that the majority of their peers have used illicit substances more frequently than themselves. The perception was significantly associated with higher odds for personal illicit substance use (OR: 1.97, 95% CI: 1.53-2.54). The perception that the majority of peers approve illicit substance use was significantly associated with higher odds for personal approval of illicit substance use (OR: 3.47, 95% CI: 2.73-4.41).
Conclusion: Students commonly perceived that their peers used illicit subtances more often than themselves. We found an association between the perceived peer norms/attitudes and reported individual behaviour/attitudes.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.07.039 | DOI Listing |
Mil Psychol
January 2025
Department of Community Health and Health Behavior, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA.
Among military service members, the experience of never-deploying can create a negative affective state (i.e., "non-deployment emotions"; (NDE)) that increases stress and may contribute to higher rates of substance use among Reserve and National Guard soldiers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Forensic Med Pathol
January 2025
From the Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
Pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities have increased over the past decade in the United States. Factors proposed to explain this increase include the increased popularity of larger passenger vehicles, road design to accommodate faster-moving traffic, and poor road infrastructure. We analyzed a series of 102 pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities to determine which factors were involved.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDrug Alcohol Depend Rep
March 2025
Department of Drug Dependence Research, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan.
Background: Methamphetamine use is related to severe health, social, and criminal challenges. However, there is limited evidence regarding the factors associated with the recurrence of drug use among individuals who have used methamphetamine, particularly within populations involved in the criminal justice system. This study aimed to identify predictors of illicit drug use at a one-year follow-up among males in Japan who have used methamphetamine and are involved in the criminal justice system.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Community Hosp Intern Med Perspect
January 2025
Department of Medicine, McLaren Health Care/Michigan State University, Flint, MI, USA.
Levamisole-induced vasculitis is a recognized dermatopathologic phenomenon frequently observed in individuals engaged in illicit substance use, particularly cocaine. Levimasole's structural resemblance to cocaine leads to its utilization as a cutting or bulking agent, creating an illusion of unaltered purity. While this vasculitis typically manifests in cartilaginous areas such as the ears and nose, it can also occur, though less commonly, in the lower extremities.
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