Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Use Among Adolescents
This dissertation proposal examines the scope and dynamics of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use among adolescents in the United States. Drawing on peer-reviewed scholarship and national surveillance data, it surveys usage rates across substances and demographic groups, identifies behavioral and academic risk factors associated with adolescent substance use, and explores how tobacco companies have specifically targeted youth through product manipulation. The proposal also reviews prevention efforts in schools and communities, including tobacco-free school policies and staff development programs. Together, the sources establish both the scale of the problem and a foundation for developmentally appropriate, evidence-based interventions.
- Introduction: Purpose and scope of dissertation proposal
- Data and Research on Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco Use: National prevalence statistics across substances and grades
- Tobacco Marketing and Youth Targeting: Menthol manipulation and cigar and cigarette use data
- Rural, Suburban, and Urban Comparisons: Geographic variation in adolescent substance use rates
- Literature Review: Prevention of Alcohol and Drug Use by Adolescents: School policies and staff training for prevention
- Conclusion: Recommendations for tobacco-free school adoption
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper grounds every claim in named, peer-reviewed sources with specific statistics, lending credibility and allowing readers to trace findings back to original studies.
- It moves logically from prevalence data to risk factors, to commercial targeting of youth, to geographic variation, and finally to prevention — creating a coherent funnel from problem to solution.
- The author flags gaps in existing research (e.g., the omission of "blunts" from the Brooks cigar study), demonstrating evaluative rather than merely descriptive engagement with the literature.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates critical synthesis of a literature review: rather than simply summarizing each source in sequence, the author connects findings across sources (e.g., linking CDC prevalence data to Bryant's risk-factor model), notes where studies align, and points out what topics remain underexplored. This technique distinguishes a literature review from an annotated bibliography.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a framing introduction stating its purpose as a dissertation proposal. The first major section presents national prevalence data organized by substance (alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, tobacco). The next section examines tobacco industry manipulation of menthol to attract young users. A subsequent section compares rural, suburban, and urban usage rates. The prevention section surveys school-based policies and staff training data. The conclusion is implicit in the final prevention recommendations. The Works Cited list follows APA formatting conventions.
Introduction
The use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco by adolescents in the United States has been a concern of parents, teachers, administrators, and community leaders for many years and across many contexts. The purpose of this dissertation proposal is to engage a number of research studies and scholarly articles that bring a fresh focus and provide a theoretical foundation for further study. Research methods include the review and analysis of meaningful scholarship in the literature. The research also provides information on prevention models being proposed or already in place by communities, schools, and other agencies.
Works Cited
Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly. (2002). Teenagers abusing cough syrup. Retrieved March 1, 2009, from http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-2173465_ITM.
Brooks, A., Gaier Larkin, E. M., Kishore, S., & Frank, S. (2008). Cigars, cigarettes, and adolescents. American Journal of Health Behavior, 32(6).
Bryant, A. L. (2003). How academic achievement, attitudes, and behaviors relate to the course of substance use during adolescence: A 6-year, multiwave national longitudinal study. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 13(3), 361–397.
Center for Disease Control. (2008). Alcohol & drug use. Retrieved March 1, 2009, from http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/alcoholdrug/index.htm.
Johnson, A. O., Mink, M. D., Harun, N., Moore, C. G., Martin, A. B., & Bennett, K. J. (2008). Violence and drug use in rural teens: National prevalence estimates from the 2003 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Journal of School Health, 78(10), 554–561.
Kreslake, J. M., Wayne, G. F., Alpert, H. R., Koh, H. K., & Connolly, G. N. (2008). [Menthol cigarettes and youth targeting]. American Journal of Public Health, 98(9), 1685–1692.
Monti, P. M. (2007). Study: Teens talk drugs on the Internet. The Digest of Addiction Theory and Application. Retrieved March 2, 2009, from http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-33764875_ITM.
SHPPS 2006. (2007). Alcohol or other drug use prevention. Journal of School Health, 77(8).
Summerlin-Long, S., & Goldstein, A. O. (2008). A statewide movement to promote the adoption of tobacco-free school policies. Journal of School Health.
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