Morris A. Forslund

Drug Use among White and American Indian High School Youth

Data are presented on a sample of white (N = 391) and American Indian (N = 120) high school youth attending the four high schools in the vicinity of Wyomings Wind River Reservation. For the most part, the Indian youth were members of either the Arapahoe or Shoshone tribes. The general null hypothesis that no significant differences existed between white and Indian youth in either attitudes toward drug use or in the use of drugs was rejected. The data indicate that Indian youth have a more favorable attitude toward the use of marijuana and other drugs than do white youth. Indian youth were also more likely than white youth to try using marijuana and other drugs, but no more likely than whites to continue using such drugs after having tried them.

Gender Differences in Drinking Motivations and Outcomes

To investigate gender differences in the dynamics of alcohol use, we gathered self-reported data from male and female college students. Results of our experiment showed that dominance power motivations were correlated with negative drinking outcomes for both men and women; assertiveness power motivations were associated with negative outcomes only for women. For both sexes, a higher proportion of positive social motivations was associated with fewer negative drinking outcomes. We expect that, in addition to the more traditionally defined needs for dominance power shown to be important for drinking among men, women may use alcohol in relation to needs for assertiveness and self-expression.

Drug Use and Delinquent Behavior of Small Town and Rural Youth.

Little is known about the relationship between drug use and involvement in other types of delinquent activities among small town and rural youth. The findings presented here are based on responses to a self-report type questionnaire concerning delinquent acts administered to ninth through twelfth grade students at two high schools in Fremont County, Wyoming. The data indicate that there is a significant relationship between drug use and the commission of numerous other forms of delinquent behavior for both male and female students studied. In addition, the data lead to the conclusion that drug users tend to have poorer relationships with both their parents and the school than is the case with non-users.

Functions of drinking for Native American and White youth.

Despite long concern in the United States over alcohol consumption by adolescents and problems associated with drinking among Native Americans, few studies have dealt with the functions of drinking for Native American and White youth. The findings presented here are based on responses to a self-report questionnaire administered to ninth- through twelfth-grade students at two high schools in Fremont County, Wyoming — the county where the great majority of Wyomings Native American population resides. Based on work by Jessor, Carman and Grossman, 30 items concerning positive-social, personal-effect, and experiential reasons for drinking were examined. Although there are some statistically significant differences in responses to individual items and statistically significant differences between Indian and White males and females on the Personal-Effect and Positive-Social categories of items, the functions of drinking appear to be quite similar for these Indian and White youth.

Drinking Problems of Native American and White Youth

The consequences of alcohol consumption by teenagers in general and Indian youth in particular have long been of concern in the United States. Nevertheless, there have been few empirical studies of problems experienced by adolescents subsequent to drinking, and none which have provided comparative data on drinking related problems of white and Native American youth. The findings presented here are based on a self-report study of high school students in the Wind River Reservation area of Wyoming. With regard to feeling high, getting drunk, being sick, passing out, suffering a brief loss of memory, being stopped by the police, having an automobile accident and getting into trouble with parents, Indian youth of both sexes tend to experience more serious consequences of drinking than do white youth from the same area.

Characteristics of Heroin Users in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Through the use of the snowball technique an attempt was made to identify and then locate and interview as many as possible of the residents of Cheyenne, Wyoming who had used or were using heroin. The interview dealt with the social and demographic characteristics of users and their heroin use and treatment histories. Black, white and Chicano interviewers who were known to and trusted by some segment of the heroin using community of Cheyenne were used. Of 282 potential interviewees identified, 146 were located and interviewed — of whom 144 had been or were using heroin.