18. Factors affecting drug use

Why people choose not to use drugs

Drug use has been negatively correlated* with:

• Self esteem
• Liking school
• Achievement
• Decision-making
• Self-reliance
• Feelings of belonging
• Religious beliefs
• Optimism about the future
• Humanistic environment in the school
• Alternative education programmes for 'problem' young people
• Involvement of the community
• Clear, consistent child rearing practices
• Parent religiosity
• Parent intolerance of deviance
• Preference of controls and regulations in the home
• Extended family

Why people might use a drug

Drug use has been positively correlated* with:

• knowledge of drugs
• Attitude towards use
• Intentions to use
• Use of other drugs
• Impulsive behaviour
• Alienation
• Excessive personal stress
• Sensation seeking
• Boredom
• Assertiveness
• Anti-social tendencies
• Rejection
• Reliance on peer group for information
• Scepticism about school drug education
• Scepticism about media prevention efforts
• Peer approval of deviant behaviour
• Peer pro-drug attitudes and behaviour
• Parental use of drugs and/or alcohol
• Parental medication use
• Lack of parental concern
• Parental permissiveness
• Childhood stress and trauma
• Absence of a parent
• Family instablility and disorganisation
• Quality of the relationship in a family
• Over and under-evaluation by parents
• Harsh physical punishment
• Rejection by parents
• Sexual abuse when young

*NB: Correlations are not causal

Source: Bill Rice, 1988

Drugs are illiegal because they are dangerous - They are not dangerous because they are illegal.