Gellisse Bagnall

Use of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs amongst 13-year-olds in three areas of Britain

The survey described in this paper is the first stage of a study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of school-based alcohol education for 13-year-olds. The results presented are from baseline data, collected before administration of an alcohol education package. Data have been collected from 1600 pupils in nine schools, three in Scotland, three in England and three in Wales. Although 96% of the study group had some experience of alcohol, the majority drank infrequently and usually only small amounts. However, occasional problems of intoxication were identified, with 20% having experienced a hangover. Gender differences in drinking habits are discussed along with the implications of the findings for school-based alcohol education.

Gender Differences for the Risk of Alcohol-Related Problems in Multiple National Contexts

The primary research question asked is: After holding alcohol consumption constant, will men and women be at equal risk for a variety of alcohol-related problems? Since women are actually at a higher blood alcohol content at the same consumption levels, a physiological argument would suggest that women are at equal or greater risk for alcohol problems than men. However, variation in societal norms surrounding gender roles and/or societal-level stress may mediate the experience of men and women, regardless of the differences in physiology. Ten cross-sectional general population studies are used. Analyses control for individual-level variables (age, quantity, and frequency of drinking) and societal-level variables (proportion of women in the work force and female suicide rate) that might confound these relationships; cross-study homogeneity is examined.

Postgraduate training in health education/promotion: the demand from potential students for distance learning

This paper reports the findings from a survey on the demand among health education/promotion specialists for postgraduate professional study at Diploma or Masters level by distance learning methods. The purpose of the survey was to clarify perceived benefits and disadvantages of this flexible approach to study, along with information about appropriate structure and content of distance learning materials, student support systems, access to resources and predicted employer support. The results suggest that potential students among health education/promotion specialists throughout Scotland strongly favour the introduction of distance learning, with the need to negotiate adequate support (from employers) for such study being clearly recognised.

Alcohol Education Initiatives in Scotland—a current perspective

Against a background of the official targets and strategies for reducing alcohol consumption by the year 2000, this paper provides a critical overview of selected alcohol education initiatives in Scotland over approximately the last five years. While not intended to be a comprehensive review of the effectiveness of alcohol education, the paper inevitably draws some attention to the absence of rigorous evaluation in many initiatives. On a more positive note, we conclude that the examples discussed in this paper illustrate the kinds of strategies for reducing consumption recommended by government. In particular, and perhaps due to the demographic nature of Scotland, there is clear evidence of liaison between national and local level activities, and of cooperation between the voluntary, private and public sectors, in a range of settings. However we have to wait until the year 2000 to know whether such strategies have achieved their target.