The Substance Use System: Social and Neighborhood Environments Associated with Substance Use and Misuse

Abstract

Substance use theory and practice have traditionally focused on individuals who misuse substances or who are at risk for substance misuse, but this emphasis is shifting. The present study views both substance use and misuse systematically, assessing the relationships between the physical and social environments and substance use and misuse in dynamic interplay. This substance use system was examined through a survey of approximately 10,000 persons, aged 22-44, from primarily inner-city neighborhoods in the United States. Individual indicators such as race, sex, age, socioeconomic status, education, and religious service attendance relate to both the physical and interpersonal environments, even when each is controlled for the others. Qualities of both environments are strongly associated with substance dependency, even after individual indicators are controlled. These findings suggest the difficulty of bringing about change in drug and alcohol use without fundamental change in the environments where use takes place.

Influence of neighborhood deprivation, gender and ethno-racial origin on smoking behavior of Canadian youth

“…This suggests that strong community belonging was not protective against smoking specifically for youth living in poor neighborhoods. Kadushin et al (1998) have argued that neighborhood "culture" can support risk-taking behavior like substance use and drinking; with networks supportive of risk-taking often located in poor communities. We can broaden his argument to other risk-taking behaviors like smoking and suggest that youth living in poor communities may be immersed in a culture that condones and/or promotes smoking through social norms and attitudes that reinforce smoking.…”

Neighborhood Variation in Adolescent Alcohol Use: Examination of Socioecological and Social Disorganization Theories

“…A socioecological framework suggests that both the intrapersonal and interpersonal aspects of adolescents' lives are affected by their neighborhood. Although many studies on adolescent alcohol use include intrapersonal and interpersonal risk factors for drinking, few have included promotive factors that help youth counter or overcome these risks (Kadushin et al, 1998) or modeled community-level factors concurrently (Chuang et al, 2005). Consequently, research that examines multiple levels may help us better understand the complex web of infl uence that affects youth drinking behavior.…”

The Effect of Neighborhood Context on the Drug Use of American Indian Youth of the Southwest

“…The high availability and use of drugs and alcohol also promotes harmful role models. In these neighborhoods, youths encounter more pro-drugs norms and they are more likely to see adults drinking and "getting high" in public (Kadushin et al, 1998;.…”