The dominance of behavioral explanations may limit public support for policy solutions to eliminate racial/ethnic health disparities. Future research should examine the design and dissemination of effective messages about the social determinants of health.

One of the most notable trends in illegal substance use among Americans over the past decade is the dramatic growth and spread of methamphetamine use. In response to the dramatic rise in methamphetamine use and its associated burden, a broad range of legislations has been passed to combat the problem. In this paper, we assess the impact of retail-level laws intended to restrict chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine (methamphetamine precursor laws) in reducing indicators of domestic production, methamphetamine availability, and the consequences of methamphetamine use. Specifically, we examine trends in these indicators of methamphetamine supply and use over a period spanning the implementation of the federal Methamphetamine Anti-Proliferation Act (MAPA) (October 2000) and a more stringent state-level restriction enacted in California (January 2000). The results are mixed in terms of the effectiveness of legislative efforts to control methamphetamine production and use, depending on the strength of the legislation (California Uniform Controlled Substances Act versus federal MAPA), the specification of the comparison group, and the particular outcome of interest. Some evidence suggests that domestic production was impacted by these legislative efforts, but there is also evidence that prices fell, purities rose, and treatment episodes increased.

The purpose of this paper is to identify factors associated with initiation to inhalant use among adolescents ages 9 to 18. The data are from the National Survey of Parents and Youth, a longitudinal household survey. Baseline surveys for adolescents and parents were conducted between November 1999 and June 2001 and then annually for three subsequent rounds. The outcome measure is an indicator of a respondent’s first use of inhalants. Discrete-time survival analysis was used to model the hazard of initiation. The hazard of inhalant initiation peaks at about 14 years of age (slightly younger than smoking and marijuana initiation). African Americans were less likely than Whites to initiate inhalant use, and higher family income was protective against inhalant initiation. The findings suggest that parenting is associated with initiation of inhalant use: parental drug use was a risk factor for inhalant initiation, and a measure of parental monitoring was protective. The study results also suggest a strong relationship between inhalant use and other problem behaviors and sensation seeking. These results highlight the need to intervene early for youth at risk of or just beginning to engage in risky behaviors including inhalant use.

ddiction to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs is a chronic illness, much like many of the other chronic illnesses that health care professionals regularly treat. About one-half of people with addiction disorders have a genetic predisposition to addiction, similar to people with asthma, diabetes, and hypertension. 1-3 Additionally, adherence and relapse rates are similar across these chronic illnesses. Researchers and health care professionals who study brain chemistry and addiction disorders recognize that addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease with no complete cure. The goal of treatment should be to help the individual manage their chronic condition. Yet, as a society we often view addiction as a moral failure and blame the person for his or her dependence-making it difficult for people to seek care. As a result, we have a system that is largely unresponsive to the needs of people with addiction disorders.The failure to properly recognize and address the needs of people with substance abuse disorders creates considerable problems for the individual, his or her family, employers, and society as a whole. In North Carolina, there are approximately 642,000 people age 12 or older who used illicit drugs in the past month (7.7%) and more than 1.6 million people (19.5%) who reported binge drinking. a,4 However, not everyone who uses alcohol or illicit drugs is addicted to these substances. Nor does the occasional or moderate use of some of these substances automatically lead to poor health outcomes. For example, some data suggest that moderate consumption of certain types of alcoholic beverages (e.g., a glass of red wine) may be protective for certain types of health problems. 5,6 Occasional use in moderate amounts must be distinguished from abuse or dependence. Abuse refers to misuse of a substance (usually in terms of frequency or quantity), which puts a person at heightened risk for adverse outcomes such as injury, motor vehicle accidents, job loss, family disruption, sexual assault, or a variety of medical conditions.