Jo Ann Ford

Triple trouble: Alcohol abuse by women with disabilities

Using data from a multi-state survey on substance use among people with disabilities, this study provides a primary examination of alcohol use patterns and drinking related problems for women with disabilities. An inspection of patterns of use reveals evidence that alcohol use is at least as prevalent among women with disabilities as in the general female population. It is also found that health and family problems are more likely to be reported by female drinkers with disabilities than other consequences. In the discussion section, authors address the issues of social stigma and pressures to provide a better understanding of alcohol abuse among women with disabilities.

The PALS Prevention Program and Its Long-Term Impact on Student Intentions to Use Alcohol, Tobacco, and Marijuana

A unique Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug (ATOD) prevention program called PALS (Prevention through Alternative Learning Styles) was implemented with middle school students with the goal of enhancing student knowledge of the harmful effects of ATOD, promoting the use of refusal skills and reducing intentions to use ATOD in the future. Intentions to use were measured at four points: pre-PALS, post-PALS, and at 1-year and 2-year follow-ups. Student survey responses were then matched and compared across the four time periods. This article reports on the long-term effectiveness of PALS on student intentions to use ATOD in high school. When follow-up surveys of PALS students were compared to students not exposed to PALS (comparison group), the PALS students had significantly lower intentions to use alcohol and tobacco, providing evidence that the PALS intervention did have a long-term impact on intentions to use these substances.

Accessible Substance Abuse Prevention for All Children

Even though moderate declines in the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD) among adolescents have been seen over the years, the battle to prevent youth from using ATOD is still a focus for educators and researchers. The primary means of preventing ATOD is still through educational settings and school-based programs. However, the effectiveness of prevention efforts is substantially enhanced when the entire community is involved. Children with disabilities or children who have nontraditional learning styles are still not receiving prevention geared specifically toward their personal needs. This is despite research indicating that the presence of a physical, mental, or psychological disability places an individual at increased risk for substance abuse problems. This chapter outlines risk factors experienced by children with disabilities, community and psychosocial approaches to effective school-based intervention programs, and concludes with a discussion of the Prevention through Alternative Learning Styles (PALS) program that has shown much success since it was developed in 1992.

Policy Responses to Substance Abuse and Disability A Concept Paper

Some groups within our society are at a greater risk for the abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD) than other groups are. People with disabilities or others with special needs are identified as high-risk groups. Although this reality is generally recognized by agencies serving these individuals, it is not always clear how an agency should respond to these needs. General substance abuse policies and procedures may not be appropriate for some populations or settings. Unique approaches are called for, but there are few sources of information on this topic. Here we present a concept paper regarding the establishment of such policies and procedures.