An Overview of Substance Use and Protective Factors in Rural Adolescents

Within the past decade, overall prevalence of legal and illegal drug use has decreased, but the use of alcohol and other drugs during adolescence remains a current public health problem. Among rural youth, alcohol and other drug use increased over the past decade. Currently, both underage drinking and tobacco use are elevated in rural areas, and the use of illegal drugs by rural youth is on the rise. Rural areas lack the funds, infrastructure, and personnel to implement anti-drug programs or provide substance abuse treatment. Data for the current study were collected using an anonymous survey administered to 1,059 middle and high-school students in rural South Georgia. The mean age of the sample was 15 years old and respondents ranged from 11-19 years of age. Participants were primarily male (51.4%) and White (64.5%). When examining substance use, 32.8% of students had ever smoked cigarettes, 19.7% had ever used smokeless tobacco, 53.6% had ever drank alcohol, 27.3% had ever used marijuana, and 5.6% had ever used illegal drugs. When examining current use of substances, 11.8% of students were current smokers, 10.6% currently used smokeless tobacco, 22.7% currently drank alcohol, 12.8% currently used marijuana, and 2.9% currently used illegal substances. Contextual factors that significantly decreased drug initiation include school connectedness, religion, refusal efficacy, social norms, and community safety (P<.05). Understanding the causal pathways of different contextual factors and theoretical constructs could lead to more tailored interventions and anti-drug programs in rural communities.