Social and Religious Factors in Adolescents' Drug Use

Abstract

The original purpose of this study was to test several types of anti-cannabis messages. Analysis of the results led to a second, post hoc purpose: to explain why pre-intervention substance usage rates varied so greatly between the sampled schools. Participants were Australian ninth-grade students at a state government high school and a non-denominational Christian high school. Analysis of the open-ended responses indicated that attending a school that has a strong moral prohibition on substance use—reinforced by peers, families, and church—acts as a protective factor in preventing substance use. Studies such as this suggest that providing adolescents with supportive environments will encourage them to make sensible choices about drugs, with long-term benefits for the individual and the community.

KEYWORDS:

• adolescents
• Australian
• cannabis
• drug use
• prevention messages
• psychosocial factors

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sandra C. Jones

Associate Professor Sandra C. Jones, BA, MBA (Marketing), MPH, MAssessEval, PhD, is the Director of the Centre for Health Initiatives, University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.

John R. Rossiter

Professor John R. Rossiter, BPsych Hons (UWA), MSc (UCLA), PhD (Penn), is Research Professor of Marketing, University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.