PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

School drug tests don't work, but 'positive climate' might

2014-01-13
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Michael Rozansky
mrozansky@asc.upenn.edu
215-746-0202
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
School drug tests don't work, but 'positive climate' might PISCATAWAY, NJ – School drug testing does not deter teenagers from smoking marijuana, but creating a "positive school climate" just might, according to research reported in the January issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. An estimated 20 percent of U.S. high schools have drug testing; some target students suspected of abusing drugs, but often schools randomly test students who are going out for sports or clubs. The policies are controversial, partly because there is little evidence they work. And in the new study, researchers found no effects on high schoolers' drug experimentation. Of 361 students interviewed, one third said their school had a drug testing policy. Over the next year, those kids were no less likely than other students to try marijuana, cigarettes or alcohol. "Even though drug testing sounds good, based on the science, it's not working," said Daniel Romer, Ph.D., of the University of Pennsylvania Annenberg Public Policy Center in Philadelphia. At best, Romer said, the policies might convince kids to lay off the drug their school is testing for—which is most commonly marijuana. But even if that's true, Romer added, students in school sports and clubs are actually not the ones at greatest risk of developing drug problems. "So as a prevention effort," Romer said, "school drug testing is kind of wrong-headed." So what does work? In this study, there was evidence that a positive school climate might help. During the initial interviews, students were asked about their school environment; a school was considered to have a positive climate when kids said there were clear rules, and students and teachers treated each other with respect. Over the next year, students in positive environments were about 20 percent less likely to try marijuana and 15 percent less likely to light up a cigarette. That "positive" rating just reflected the students' perceptions; their schools did not have special policies in place. But, Romer said, there are programs out there that help schools create a more respectful environment. So it is something that schools can aim for, he added. However, positive schools did not seem to make a dent in student drinking. At the second interview, two thirds of students said they'd tried alcohol—regardless of their school climate or drug testing policies. That, Romer said, may be because drinking is so "normative," even though it's illegal before age 21. "The whole culture uses alcohol," he said. "And you're fighting something that has widespread marketing behind it." For example, Romer noted, it's nearly impossible to watch sports without seeing ads featuring young adults having a good time drinking. "It's a real problem," he said of underage drinking. "And right now we're not doing enough to address it." ### Sznitman, S. R., & Romer, D. (January 2014). Student Drug Testing and Positive School Climates: Testing the Relation Between Two School Characteristics and Drug Use Behavior in a Longitudinal Study. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 75(1), 65. To arrange an interview with Daniel Romer, Ph.D., please contact Michael Rozansky at mrozansky@asc.upenn.edu or (215) 746-0202. The Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs is published by the Center of Alcohol Studies at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. It is the oldest substance-related journal published in the United States. To learn about education and training opportunities for addiction counselors and others at the Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies, please visit AlcoholStudiesEd.rutgers.edu.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Brief mental training sessions have long-lasting benefits for seniors' cognition and everyday function

2014-01-13
Brief mental training sessions have long-lasting benefits for seniors' cognition and everyday function Older adults who received as few as 10 sessions of mental (cognitive) training showed improvements in reasoning ability and speed-of-processing when compared with untrained ...

Advanced radiation therapy for head and neck cancer may be better than traditional radiation at preventing side effects and cancer recurrence

2014-01-13
Advanced radiation therapy for head and neck cancer may be better than traditional radiation at preventing side effects and cancer recurrence Patients with head and neck cancer who are treated with an advanced form of radiation therapy may experience fewer side effects and ...

Study finds more targeted form of radiation improves survival in patients with head and neck cancers

2014-01-13
Study finds more targeted form of radiation improves survival in patients with head and neck cancers IMRT reduces side effects, also improves outcomes HOUSTON — Patients with cancers of the head and neck who received intensity-modulated ...

White parents more likely to use age-appropriate car seats than non-whites

2014-01-13
White parents more likely to use age-appropriate car seats than non-whites Race of parents remains a key predictor of whether children will be placed in the right safety seat, according to new U-M study Ann Arbor, Mich. — White parents reported higher ...

Fear of being too skinny may put teen boys at risk for depression, steroid use

2014-01-13
Fear of being too skinny may put teen boys at risk for depression, steroid use Steroid use more likely among depressed and bullying victims, study finds WASHINGTON – Teenage boys who think they're too skinny when they are actually a healthy weight are ...

'Superlens' extends range of wireless power transfer

2014-01-11
'Superlens' extends range of wireless power transfer Engineers accomplish the first relatively long-range wireless power transfer by 'beaming' electromagnetic fields DURHAM, N.C. -- Inventor Nikola Tesla imagined the technology to transmit energy through thin air almost ...

Social media helps users embrace differences and provide support to one another, MU study finds

2014-01-11
Social media helps users embrace differences and provide support to one another, MU study finds Lady Gaga enables followers to embrace their awkwardness while deepening the perceived relationship they feel they have with the celebrity COLUMBIA, Mo. ...

Study: Autophagy predicts which cancer cells live and die when faced with anti-cancer drugs

2014-01-11
Study: Autophagy predicts which cancer cells live and die when faced with anti-cancer drugs When a tumor is treated with an anti-cancer drug, some cells die and, unfortunately, some cells tend to live. A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the ...

Text messaging boosts flu vaccine rates in pregnant women

2014-01-11
Text messaging boosts flu vaccine rates in pregnant women January 10, 2014 --A study by researchers at the Mailman School of Public Health evaluated the impact of text messaging reminders for influenza vaccine in a low-income obstetric ...

Complementary medicine in wide use to treat children with autism, developmental delay

2014-01-11
Complementary medicine in wide use to treat children with autism, developmental delay

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Inability to pay for healthcare reaches record high in U.S.

Science ‘storytelling’ urgently needed amid climate and biodiversity crisis

KAIST Develops Retinal Therapy to Restore Lost Vision​

Adipocyte-hepatocyte signaling mechanism uncovered in endoplasmic reticulum stress response

Mammals were adapting from life in the trees to living on the ground before dinosaur-killing asteroid

Low LDL cholesterol levels linked to reduced risk of dementia

Thickening of the eye’s retina associated with greater risk and severity of postoperative delirium in older patients

Almost one in ten people surveyed report having been harmed by the NHS in the last three years

Enhancing light control with complex frequency excitations

New research finds novel drug target for acute myeloid leukemia, bringing hope for cancer patients

New insight into factors associated with a common disease among dogs and humans

Illuminating single atoms for sustainable propylene production

New study finds Rocky Mountain snow contamination

Study examines lactation in critically ill patients

UVA Engineering Dean Jennifer West earns AIMBE’s 2025 Pierre Galletti Award

Doubling down on metasurfaces

New Cedars-Sinai study shows how specialized diet can improve gut disorders

Making moves and hitting the breaks: Owl journeys surprise researchers in western Montana

PKU Scientists simulate the origin and evolution of the North Atlantic Oscillation

ICRAFT breakthrough: Unlocking A20’s dual role in cancer immunotherapy

How VR technology is changing the game for Alzheimer’s disease

A borrowed bacterial gene allowed some marine diatoms to live on a seaweed diet

Balance between two competing nerve proteins deters symptoms of autism in mice

Use of antifungals in agriculture may increase resistance in an infectious yeast

Awareness grows of cancer risk from alcohol consumption, survey finds

The experts that can outsmart optical illusions

Pregnancy may reduce long COVID risk

Scientists uncover novel immune mechanism in wheat tandem kinase

Three University of Virginia Engineering faculty elected as AAAS Fellows

Unintentional drug overdoses take a toll across the U.S. unequally, study finds

[Press-News.org] School drug tests don't work, but 'positive climate' might