A COMPARISON OF THE ATTITUDES TOWARD ALCOHOL AND DRUG-USE AND SCHOOL SUPPORT BY GRADE LEVEL, GENDER, AND ETHNICITY

Students in grades 6 through 12 from twelve rural school districts (N = 12,970) responded to a questionnaire measuring incidences of and attitudes toward drug and alcohol use. The purpose of the study was to determine differences between grade level, gender, and ethnic groups on attitudes towards alcohol and drug use and school support for intervention programs. The results show that attitudes toward drug and alcohol use became more liberal as a positive function of grade level. Males tended to be more prone to use illicit drugs and to be more resistant to participation in school associated intervention programs than females. Ethnic differences were exhibited, some of which did not corroborate previous research. The results were interpreted as suggesting that informational strategies used in schools may not properly address the varied needs of students.