Journal of Adolescent Health
Volume 42, Issue 3 , Pages 209-220 , March 2008

School Effects on Young People’s Drug Use: A Systematic Review of Intervention and Observational Studies

  • Adam Fletcher, M.Sc.

      Affiliations

    • The Centre for Research on Drugs and Health Behaviour, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to: Adam Fletcher, M.Sc., The Centre for Research on Drugs and Health Behaviour, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
  • ,
  • Chris Bonell, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • The Centre for Research on Drugs and Health Behaviour, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
  • ,
  • James Hargreaves, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom

Received 30 May 2007 ,Accepted 4 September 2007.

References 

  1. Johnston LD, O’Malley PM, Bachman JG. Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975–2001 (Volume I: Secondary School Students). Bethesda, MD: National Institute of Drug Abuse; 2002;
  2. Hibel B, Anderson B, Bjarnsson T, et al. The ESPAD Report 2003 (Alcohol and Other Drug Use among Students in 35 Countries). Stockholm: The Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs; 2004;
  3. National Centre for Social Research/National Foundation for Educational Research. Drug Use, Smoking and Drinking among Young People in England in 2005: Headline Figures. London: NHS Health and Social Care Information; 2006;
  4. UNICEF. Child Poverty and Perspective: An Overview of Child Wellbeing in Rich Vountries. Florence: UNICEF; 2007;
  5. Charlton J, Kelly S, Dunnell K. Suicide deaths in England and Wales: Trends in factors associated with suicide deaths. Population Trends. 1993;71:34–42
  6. Jayakody A, Sinha S, Curtis K, et al. Smoking, Drinking, Drug Use, Mental Health and Sexual Behaviour in Young People in East London. London: Department of Health & Teenage Pregnancy Unit; 2005;
  7. Thomas J, Kavanagh J, Tucker H, et al. Accidental Injury, Risk-Taking Behaviour and the Social Circumstances in Which Young People (Aged 12–24) Live: A Systematic Review. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London; 2007;
  8. Jessor R, Donovan JE, Costa FM. Beyond Adolescence: Problem Behaviour and Young Adult Development. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1991;
  9. Duncan SC, Strycker LA, Duncan TE. Exploring associations in developmental trends of adolescent substance use and risky sexual behaviour in a high-risk population. J Behav Med. 1999;22:21–24
  10. Yamaguchi K, Kandel DB. Patterns of drug use from adolescence to young adulthood: Predictors of progression. Am J Public Health. 1984;74:673–681
  11. Lynskey MT, Heath AC, Bucholz KK, et al. Escalation of drug use in early onset cannabis users vs co-twin controls. JAMA. 2003;289:427–433
  12. Ferguson DM, Boden JM, Horwood LJ. Cannabis use and other illicit drug use: testing the cannabis gateway hypothesis. Addiction. 2006;101:556–569
  13. Parker H, Newcombe R, Bakx K. The heroin users: prevalence and characteristics in Wirral, Merseyside. Addiction. 1987;82:147–157
  14. Bourgois P. In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio. New York: Cambridge University Press; 1995;
  15. Allott R, Paxton R, Leonard R. Drug education: a review of British Government policy and evidence on effectiveness. Health Educ Res. 1999;14:491–505
  16. Evans-Whipp T, Beyers JM, Lloyd S, et al. A review of school drug polices and their impact on youth substance use. Health Promot Int. 2004;19:227–234
  17. Coggans N. Drug education and prevention: has progress been made?. Drugs-Educ Prev Pol. 2006;13:417–422
  18. Tobler NS, Roona MR, Ochshorn PM, et al. School-based adolescent drug prevention programs: 1998 meta-analysis. J Primary Prev. 2000;20:275–336
  19. Faggiano F, Vigna-Taglianti FD, Versino E, et al. School-based prevention for illicit drugs’ use (review). Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005;Issue 2:CD003020
  20. World Health Organization. WHO Expert Committee on Comprehensive School Health Education and Promotion. Geneva: WHO; 1995;
  21. Flay BR. Approaches to substance use prevention utilizing school curriculum plus social environment change. Addict Behav. 2000;25:861–885
  22. Department of Health/Department for Education and Skills. National Healthy School Status (A Guide for Schools). London: DH/DfES; 2005;
  23. West P. School effects research provides new and stronger evidence in support of the health-promoting school idea. Health Educ. 2006;106:421–424
  24. Nutbeam D, Smith C, Moore L, et al. Warning! Schools can damage your health: alienation from school and its impact on health behaviour. J Paediatr Child Health. 1993;29:S25–S30
  25. Bonell C, Allen E, Strange V, et al. The effect of dislike of school on risk of teenage pregnancy: testing of hypotheses using longitudinal data from a randomised trial of sex education. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2005;59:223–230
  26. Samdal O, Nutbeam D, Wold B, et al. Achieving health and educational goals through school—a study of the importance of the school climate and the student’s satisfaction with school. Health Educ Res Theory Pract. 1998;13:383–397
  27. Sutherland I, Shepherd JP. Social dimensions of adolescent substance use. Addiction. 2001;96:445–458
  28. Cuijpers P, Jonkers R, de Weerdt I, et al. The effects of drug abuse prevention at school: the “Healthy School and Drugs” project. Addiction. 2002;97:67–73
  29. Perry CL, Komro KA, Veblen-Mortensen S, et al. A randomized controlled trial of the middle and junior high school D.A.R.E. and D.A.R.E. Plus programs. Arch Paediatr Adolesc Med. 2003;157:178–184
  30. Bond L, Patton G, Glover S, et al. The Gatehouse Project: can a multi-level school intervention affect emotional well-being and health risk behaviours?. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2004;58:997–1003
  31. Flay B, Graumlich S, Segawa E, et al. Effects of 2 prevention programs on high-risk behaviors among African American youth (A randomized trial). Arch Paediatr Adolesc Med. 2004;158:377–384
  32. Holmberg MB. Longitudinal studies of drug abuse in a fifteen-year-old-population. Acta Psychol Scand. 1985;71:67–79
  33. Brook JS, Nomura C, Cohen P. A network of influences on adolescent drug involvement: neighbourhood, school, peer, and family. Gen Soc Gen Psychol. 1989;115:125–145
  34. Rhodes JE, Jason LA. A social stress model of substance abuse. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1990;58:395–401
  35. McBride AA, Joe G, Simpson DD. Prediction of long-term alcohol use, drug use and criminality among inhalants users. Hispanic J Behav Sci. 1991;13:315–323
  36. Agnew R, White HR. An empirical test of general strain theory. Criminology. 1992;30:475–499
  37. O’Donnell J, Hawkins JD, Abbott RD. Predicting serious delinquency and substance use among aggressive boys. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1995;63:529–537
  38. Brunsma DL, Rockquemore KA. Effects of student uniforms on attendance, behavior problems, substance abuse, and academic achievement. J Educ Res. 1998;92:53–62
  39. Murguia DE, Chen Z, Kaplan HB. A comparison of causal factors in Mexican American and non-Hispanic white drug use: the effects of family and school on the acquisition of deviant peers and on early adult illicit drug use. Soc Sci Q. 1998;79:341–360
  40. Eccles JS, Barber BL. Student council, volunteering, basketball, or marching band (What kind of extracurricular involvement matters?). J Adolesc Res. 1999;14:10–43
  41. Ellickson PL, Collins RL, Bell RM. Adolescent use of illicit drugs other than marijuana: how important is social bonding and for which ethnic groups?. Subst Use Misuse. 1999;34:317–346
  42. Ensminger ME, Juon HS, Fothergill KE. Childhood and adolescent antecedents of substance use in adulthood. Addiction. 2002;97:833–844
  43. Gil AG, Vega WA, Turner RI. Early and mid-adolescence risk factors for later substance abuse by African Americans and European Americans. Public Health Rep. 2002;117:S15–S29
  44. Bryant AL, Schulenberg JE, O’Malley PM, et al. How academic achievement, attitudes and behaviours relate to the course of substance use during adolescence: a 6-year, multiwave national longitudinal study. J Res Adolesc. 2003;13:361–397
  45. Zimmerman MA, Schmeelk-Cone S. A longitudinal analysis of adolescent substance use and school motivation among African American youth. J Res Adolesc. 2003;13:185–210
  46. McNeely C, Falci C. School connectedness and transition into and out of health-risk behaviour among adolescents: a comparison of social belonging and teacher support. J School Health. 2004;74:284–292
  47. West P, Sweeting H, Leyland A. School effects on pupils’ health behaviours: evidence in support of the health promoting school. Res Papers Educ. 2004;19:261–291
  48. Darling N. Participation in extracurricular activities and adolescent adjustment: cross-sectional and longitudinal findings. J Youth Adolesc. 2005;34:493–505
  49. Henry KL, Swaim RL, Slater MD. Intraindividual variability of school bonding and adolescents’ beliefs about the effect of substance use on future aspirations. Prev Sci. 2005;6:101–112
  50. Patton GC, Bond L, Carlin JB, et al. Promoting social inclusion in schools: a group-randomized trial of effects on student health risk behaviour and well-being. Am J Public Health. 2006;96:1582–1587
  51. Bond L, Butler H, Thomas L, et al. Social and school connectedness in early secondary school as predictors of late teenage substance use, mental health, and academic outcomes. J Adolesc Health (JAH online exlcusive). 2007;40:357.e9–357.e18
  52. Aveyard P, Markham WA, Cheng KK. A methodological and substantive review of the evidence that schools cause pupils to smoke. Soc Sci Med. 2004;58:2253–2265
  53. Sellstrom E, Bremberg S. Is there a “school effect” on pupil outcome? (A review of multilevel studies). J Epidemiol Community Health. 2006;60:149–155

PII: S1054-139X(07)00419-3

doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.09.020

Journal of Adolescent Health
Volume 42, Issue 3 , Pages 209-220 , March 2008