%0 Journal Article %J Addiction %D 2014 %T Adolescent predictors and environmental correlates of young adult alcohol use problems. %A Toumbourou, John W %A Evans-Whipp, Tracy J %A Smith, Rachel %A Hemphill, Sheryl A %A Herrenkohl, Todd I %A Catalano, Richard F %K Adolescent %K Adolescent Behavior %K Alcohol Drinking %K Alcohol-Related Disorders %K Cohort Studies %K Female %K Humans %K Longitudinal Studies %K Male %K Risk Factors %K Social Environment %K Street Drugs %K Substance-Related Disorders %K Victoria %K Workplace %K Young Adult %X

AIMS: To examine the rates of young adult alcohol and drug use and alcohol problems, adolescent predictors of young adult alcohol problems and correlations with young adult social, work and recreational environments.

DESIGN: Adolescents were followed longitudinally into young adulthood. Predictors were measured in grade 9 (average age 15), and environmental correlates and outcomes in young adulthood (average age 21).

SETTING: Students recruited in Victoria, Australia in 2002, were resurveyed in 2010/11.

PARTICIPANTS: Analytical n=2309, 80% retention.

MEASUREMENTS: Adolescent self-report predictors included past-month alcohol use. Young adults completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) together with reports of environmental influences.

FINDINGS: Comparisons to United States national school graduate samples revealed higher rates of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use (other than cannabis) in Victoria. For example, rates of past month use at age 21-22 were: alcohol 69.3% US versus 84.9%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 81.3-88.6% Victoria; illicit drugs (other than cannabis) 8.8 versus 12.7%, CI 9.7-15.7%. AUDIT alcohol problems (scored 8+) were identified for 41.2%, CI 38.8-43.6% of young adults in Victoria. The likelihood of young adult alcohol problems was higher for frequent adolescent alcohol users and those exposed to environments characterized by high alcohol use and problems in young adulthood.

CONCLUSIONS: High rates of alcohol problems are evident in more than two in five Australian young adults, and these problems appear to be influenced both by earlier patterns of adolescent alcohol use and by young adult social, work and recreational environments.

%B Addiction %V 109 %P 417-24 %8 2014 Mar %G eng %N 3 %R 10.1111/add.12401 %0 Journal Article %J Accid Anal Prev %D 2013 %T Adolescent exposure to drink driving as a predictor of young adults' drink driving. %A Evans-Whipp, Tracy J %A Plenty, Stephanie M %A Toumbourou, John W %A Olsson, Craig %A Rowland, Bosco %A Hemphill, Sheryl A %K Adolescent %K Alcohol Drinking %K Automobile Driving %K Child %K Dangerous Behavior %K Female %K Follow-Up Studies %K Humans %K Imitative Behavior %K Logistic Models %K Male %K Multivariate Analysis %K Risk Factors %K Self Report %K Victoria %K Young Adult %X

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of exposure to others' drink driving during adolescence on self-reported driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol in young adulthood. Data were drawn from 1956 participants with a driving license enrolled in the International Youth Development Study from Victoria, Australia. During 2003 and 2004, adolescents in Grades 7, 9 and 10 (aged 12-17) completed questionnaires examining whether they had ridden in a vehicle with a driver who had been drinking, as well as other demographic, individual, peer and family risk factors for DUI. In 2010, the same participants (aged 18-24) then reported on their own DUI behaviour. 18% of young adults with a driving license reported DUI in the past 12 months. Exposure to others' drink driving during adolescence was associated with an increased likelihood of DUI as a young adult (OR=2.13, 95% CI 1.68-2.69). This association remained after accounting for the effects of other potential confounding factors from the individual, peer and family domains (OR=1.62, 95% CI 1.23-2.13). Observing the drink driving behaviours of others during adolescence may increase the likelihood of DUI as a young adult. Strategies to reduce youth exposure to drink driving are warranted.

%B Accid Anal Prev %V 51 %P 185-91 %8 2013 Mar %G eng %R 10.1016/j.aap.2012.11.016 %0 Journal Article %J Health Educ Res %D 2013 %T The impact of school alcohol policy on student drinking. %A Evans-Whipp, Tracy J %A Plenty, Stephanie M %A Catalano, Richard F %A Herrenkohl, Todd I %A Toumbourou, John W %K Adolescent %K Adolescent Behavior %K Alcohol Drinking %K Binge Drinking %K Cross-Cultural Comparison %K Female %K Guideline Adherence %K Humans %K Longitudinal Studies %K Male %K Organizational Policy %K Risk Reduction Behavior %K Schools %K Self Report %K Social Class %K Students %K Victoria %K Washington %X

Although it is common for secondary schools to implement alcohol policies to reduce alcohol misuse, there has been little evaluation of the efficacy of these policies. The purpose of this study was to test the impact of the degree and type of alcohol policy enforcement in state representative samples of secondary students in Washington State, USA, and Victoria, Australia (n = 1848). Multivariate logistic regressions were used to examine the prospective association between student reports of school alcohol policy in Grade 8 and self-reported alcohol use in Grade 9, controlling for age, gender, state, family socio-economic status and Grade 8 alcohol use. The likelihood of students drinking on school grounds was increased when students perceived lax policy enforcement. Student perceptions of harm minimization alcohol messages, abstinence alcohol messages and counselling for alcohol policy violators predicted reduced likelihood of binge drinking. Students perceiving harm minimization messages and counselling for alcohol policy violators had a reduced likelihood of experiencing alcohol-related harms. Perceptions of harsh penalties were unrelated to drinking behaviour. These results suggest that perceived policy enforcement may lessen drinking at school 1 year later and that harm minimization messages and counselling approaches may also lessen harmful drinking behaviours as harm minimization advocates suggest.

%B Health Educ Res %V 28 %P 651-62 %8 2013 Aug %G eng %N 4 %R 10.1093/her/cyt068 %0 Journal Article %J Int J Environ Res Public Health %D 2010 %T The impact of school tobacco policies on student smoking in Washington State, United States and Victoria, Australia. %A Evans-Whipp, Tracy J %A Bond, Lyndal %A Ukoumunne, Obioha C %A Toumbourou, John W %A Catalano, Richard F %K Adolescent %K Cross-Sectional Studies %K Female %K Humans %K Male %K Organizational Policy %K Smoking %K Social Class %K Students %K Tobacco %K Victoria %K Washington %X

This paper measures tobacco policies in statewide representative samples of secondary and mixed schools in Victoria, Australia and Washington, US (N = 3,466 students from 285 schools) and tests their association with student smoking. Results from confounder-adjusted random effects (multi-level) regression models revealed that the odds of student perception of peer smoking on school grounds are decreased in schools that have strict enforcement of policy (odds ratio (OR) = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.25 to 0.82; p = 0.009). There was no clear evidence in this study that a comprehensive smoking ban, harsh penalties, remedial penalties, harm minimization policy or abstinence policy impact on any of the smoking outcomes.

%B Int J Environ Res Public Health %V 7 %P 698-710 %8 2010 Mar %G eng %N 3 %R 10.3390/ijerph7030698