Publications & Research

Reports

Most CASAColumbia reports are available below for free in .PDF format. To search for a specific title or to find information on a specific topic, please use the search form below.

The majority of CASAColumbia's reports are available for hard copy purchase. To see a price list or to mail in your order click here. Call 212-841-5228 to order publications over the phone.

Several reports are only available in .PDF format online and are not for purchase. Click here to access those reports.

Showing all reports

The Importance of Family Dinners VIII (September 2012)

Compared to teens who have infrequent family dinners (fewer than three per week), teens who have frequent family dinners (five to seven per week) are almost one and a half times likelier to say they have an excellent relationship with their mother and one and half times likelier to say they have an excellent relationship with their dad, according to The Importance of Family Dinners VIII.

Click to download

National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XVII: Teens (August 2012)

CASAColumbia’s 2012 back-to-school teen survey reveals that 86 percent of American high school students say that some classmates are drugging, drinking and smoking during the school day and almost half know a student who sells drugs at their school.

The survey also reveals that 52 percent of high school students say that there is a place on or near school grounds where students go to get high during the school day. Thirty-six percent say it is easy for students to use drugs, drink or smoke during the school day without getting caught.

This year’s survey once again looks at teen social networking and found that 75 percent of 12- to 17-year olds say that seeing pictures of teens partying with alcohol or marijuana on Facebook, MySpace or another social networking site encourages other teens to want to party like that.

The CASAColumbia survey also looks at the impact of teens being left home alone overnight and parental expectations on teen substance use.

Click to download

Addiction Medicine: Closing the Gap between Science and Practice (June 2012)

Addiction is a complex disease affecting 40 million Americans (16 percent of the population ages 12 and older); another 80 million people are risky substance users, using tobacco, alcohol and other drugs in ways that threaten health and safety. Addiction can be treated effectively with a wide range of evidence-based psychosocial and pharmaceutical interventions and risky substance use can be addressed effectively by established public health measures. Yet only 11 percent of people with the disease of addiction receive treatment, and many do not receive effective, evidence-based care. CASAColumbia’s landmark report examines the science of addiction and the prevalence of addiction and risky substance use; demonstrates its costly health, social and economic consequences; and highlights the tremendous gap between what is needed for effective prevention and treatment versus current health and medical practice. The report offers a broad range of concrete recommendations for how to close this gap and begin to address addiction as a disease requiring medical care delivered by trained and credentialed health professionals.

Click to download

The Importance of Family Dinners VII (September 2011)

The Importance of Family Dinners VII finds that compared to teens who have frequent family dinners (five to seven per week), those who have infrequent family dinners (fewer than three per week) are almost four times likelier to use tobacco; more than twice as likely to use alcohol; two-and-a-half times likelier to use marijuana; and almost four times likelier to say they expect to try drugs in the future.

Click to download

National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XVI: Teens and Parents (August 2011)

American teens ages 12-17 who in a typical day spend any time on social networking sites are at increased risk of smoking, drinking and drug use, according to the National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XVI: Teens and Parents, the 16th annual back-to-school survey conducted by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA Columbia).

For the first time this year, the survey asked 12- to 17-year olds whether they spend time on Facebook, Myspace or other social networking sites in a typical day. Seventy percent of teens report spending time on social networking sites in a typical day compared to 30 percent of teens who say they do not. This means that 17 million 12- to 17-year olds are social networking in a typical day.

Click to download

Adolescent Substance Use: America's #1 Public Health Problem (June 2011)

This report explores how adolescent brain development relates to the risk of substance use and addiction, the cultural influences that create an environment in which substance use is considered normative behavior, and individual factors that make some teens more disposed to substance use and addiction. The report concludes that adolescent substance use can be addressed through evidence-based public health measures, including education about the disease of addiction and its risk factors, routine screening for substance use and clinical interventions.

Click to purchase

The Importance of Family Dinners VI (September 2010)

Compared to teens who have frequent family dinners (five to seven per week), those who have infrequent family dinners (fewer than three per week) are more than twice as likely to say that they expect to try drugs in the future, according to The Importance of Family Dinners VI, a new report from The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

Click to download

National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XV: Teens and Parents (August 2010)

CASA's National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XV: Teens and Parents reveals that more than one quarter of public school students attend gang- and drug-infected schools. The 15th annual back-to-school survey also finds a 39 percent jump in middle schoolers reporting drugs used, kept, sold on school grounds.

Click to download

Behind Bars II: Substance Abuse and America's Prison Population (February 2010)

Despite growing evidence of effective strategies to reduce the prevalence and costs of substance-involved offenders, the burden of substance use and addiction to our nation’s criminal justice system actually has increased. Today 2.3 million adults are behind bars in America; 1.9 million are substance involved and almost two-thirds (64.5 percent) meet medical criteria for addiction involving alcohol or other drugs.

Click to download

The Importance of Family Dinners V (September 2009)

Compared to teens who have frequent family dinners (five or more per week), those who have infrequent family dinners (fewer than three per week) are twice as likely to use tobacco or marijuana; more than one and a half times likelier to use alcohol; and twice as likely to expect to try drugs in the future, according to The Importance of Family Dinners V, a report by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

The CASA report also found that compared to teens who have frequent family dinners, those who have infrequent family dinners are more than twice as likely to be able to get marijuana in an hour and one and a half times likelier to be able to get prescription drugs to get high within an hour.

“The magic of the family dinner comes not from the food on the plate but from who’s at the table and what’s happening there. The emotional and social benefits that come from family dinners are priceless,” said Elizabeth Planet, CASA’s Vice President and Director of Special Projects.

Click to download

National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XIV: Teens and Parents (August 2009)

Compared to teens who have not seen their parent(s) drunk, those who have are more than twice as likely to get drunk in a typical month, and three times likelier to use marijuana and smoke cigarettes, according to the National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XIV: Teens and Parents, the 14th annual back-to-school survey conducted by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

“Some Moms’ and Dads’ behavior and attitudes make them parent enablers—parents who send their 12- to 17-year olds a message that it’s okay to smoke, drink, get drunk and use illegal drugs like marijuana,” said Joseph A. Califano, Jr., CASA’s chairman and founder and former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. “Teens’ behavior is strongly associated with their parents’ behavior and expectations, so parents who expect their children to drink and use drugs will have children who drink and use drugs.”

Click to download

Shoveling Up II: The Impact of Substance Abuse on Federal, State and Local Budgets (May 2009)

Substance use and addiction cost federal, state and local governments at least $467.7 billion in 2005. Of every dollar federal and state governments spent on substance use and addiction in 2005, 95.6 cents went to shoveling up the wreckage; only 1.9 cents was spent on prevention and treatment, 0.4 cents on research, 1.4 cents on taxation or regulation and 0.7 cents on interdiction.

Click to download

Shoveling Up II: The Impact of Substance Abuse on Federal, State and Local Budgets (Appendix A: State and Local Survey Instrument Only) (May 2009)

To collect state and local data for CASA's report, Shoveling Up II: The Impact of Substance Abuse on Federal, State and Local Governments, CASA administered a survey in July of 2006 to all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico using the survey instrument created for its 2001 report. CASA developed a local budget survey instrument replicating the methodology used in the state survey. These survey instruments are referenced as Attachment A to the report. Because of the length of the attachment, the full survey instruments are not included in the report itself but are available here for download.

Click to download

CASASARDsm: Intensive Case Management for Substance-Dependent Women Receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (January 2009)

A new approach to helping drug-addicted women on welfare that treats substance abuse and addiction as a chronic disease promises better outcomes of sobriety and employment than current approaches that focus on employment first, according to this White Paper by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

CASASARD^SM, an ongoing welfare demonstration program for drug-addicted mothers conducted in Essex (including Newark) and Atlantic (including Atlantic City) Counties, New Jersey, was designed to get women engaged in treatment and employment services, help them become sober, and successfully move to stable employment. CASASARD^SM uses an innovative intensive case management approach to providing services for these women and compares it to the standard care approach that focus on employment first, screening and referral.

Click to download

HIGH SOCIETY: How Substance Abuse Ravages America and What to Do About It (Hard Cover) (October 2008)

All proceeds from the sale of the book are being donated to The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

To order via mail, please click on the link below.

Click to purchase

HIGH SOCIETY: How Substance Abuse Ravages America and What to Do About It (Paperback) (October 2008)

All proceeds from the sale of the book are being donated to The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

To order via mail, please click on the link below.

Click to purchase

National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XIII: Teens and Parents (August 2008)

Problem parents -- those who fail to monitor their children's school night activities, safeguard their prescription drugs, address the problem of drugs in their children's schools and set good examples -- increase the risk that their 12- to 17-year old children will smoke, drink, and use illegal and prescription drugs.

Click to download

"You've Got Drugs!" V: Prescription Drug Pushers on the Internet (July 2008)

This series of White Papers documents the alarming availability of controlled, dangerous, addictive prescription drugs on the Internet. Because federal laws and regulations have not yet caught up with Internet technology, there is no effective control of the Internet distribution of these drugs. This lack of control threatens the safety of millions of Americans--including our children--and demands immediate attention. These White Papers call on parents, teachers and all those who have a responsibility to supervise children to take action to protect our children and teenagers from Internet prescription drug pushers.

Click to download

Non-Medical Marijuana III: Rite of Passage or Russian Roulette? (June 2008)

Despite reported declines in teen marijuana use, in 2007 almost 11 million teens report having used marijuana. This series of White Papers documents the alarming increases in the potency of marijuana, in marijuana-related teen emergency department mentions, treatment admissions and clinical diagnoses of marijuana abuse and dependence.

Click to download

Tobacco: The Smoking Gun (October 2007)

The nicotine in tobacco products poses a significant danger of structural and chemical changes in developing brains that can make teens more vulnerable to alcohol and other drug addiction and to mental illness.

Click to download

The Importance of Family Dinners IV (September 2007)

Compared to teens who have frequent family dinners (five or more per week), those who have infrequent family dinners (two or fewer) are three and a half times likelier to have abused prescription drugs; three and a half times likelier to have used an illegal drug other than marijuana or prescription drugs; three times likelier to have used marijuana; more than two and a half times likelier to have used tobacco; and one and a half times likelier to have drunk alcohol.

Click to download

National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XII: Teens and Parents (August 2007)

Eleven million high school students (80 percent) and five million middle school students (44 percent) attend drug-infested schools, meaning that they have personally witnessed illegal drug use, illegal drug dealing, illegal drug possession, students drunk and/or students high on the grounds of their school.

Click to download

"You've Got Drugs!" IV: Prescription Drug Pushers on the Internet (May 2007)

Click to download

Wasting the Best and the Brightest: Substance Abuse at America's Colleges and Universities (March 2007)

This report reveals an intensified student culture of risky use of addictive substances in colleges and universities across America and a range of harmful academic, health and social consequences that extend into the surrounding communities. Substance use among college students is a monumental and growing public health crisis. Abundant evidence points to effective ways to prevent and stem the harm associated with college student substance use. This report concludes that institutions of higher education have an obligation to take on the problem and calls on university presidents and trustees to take the lead. But others--including parents, students, alumni, Greek and athletic organizations, community leaders and state and federal policymakers--have critical roles to play, as do the alcohol and tobacco industries.

Click to download

The Importance of Family Dinners III (September 2006)

Teens who have infrequent family dinners (two or fewer per week) are twice as likely to smoke daily and get drunk monthly, compared to teens who have frequent family dinners (at least five per week). This is the first time the study has examined the relationship between a teen’s current tobacco and alcohol use and family dinners.

Click to download

National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XI: Teens and Parents (August 2006)

One-third of teens and nearly half of 17-year olds attend house parties where parents are present and teens are drinking, smoking marijuana or using cocaine, Ecstasy or prescription drugs. Teens who say parents are not present at the parties they attend are 16 times likelier to say alcohol is available, 15 times likelier to say illegal and prescription drugs are available and 29 times likelier to say marijuana is available, compared to teens who say parents are always present at the parties they attend.

Click to download

“You've Got Drugs!” Prescription Drug Pushers on the Internet: 2006 Update (June 2006)

Click to download

The Commercial Value of Underage and Pathological Drinking to the Alcohol Industry (May 2006)

This White Paper reveals that the alcohol industry depends on underage and pathological (meeting DSM-IV clinical or medical diagnostic criteria) drinking for a minimum of $48.3 billion or 37.5 percent of total consumer expenditures for its products and as much as $62.9 billion or 48.8 percent. Because of their increased levels of consumption, pathological drinkers--both underage and adult--are three times more valuable to the alcohol industry than other drinkers.

Click to download

The Importance of Family Dinners II (September 2005)

How often a family eats dinner together is a powerful indicator of whether a teen is likely to smoke, drink or use drugs and whether the teen is likely to perform better academically, according to a new report from The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University and sponsored by TV Land and Nick at Nite’s Family Table. The study, The Importance of Family Dinners II, also reveals that teens and their parents wish they could have dinner together more often

Click to download

National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse X: Teens and Parents (September 2005)

Since 2002 the number of students who attend schools where drugs are used, kept or sold has jumped 41 percent for high school students and 47 percent for middle school students, according to a new report by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

Click to download

Under the Counter: The Diversion and Abuse of Controlled Prescription Drugs in the U.S. (July 2005)

The number of Americans who abuse controlled prescription drugs has nearly doubled from 7.8 million to 15.1 million from 1992 to 2003 and abuse among teens has more than tripled during that time, according to this report by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

Click to download

Family Matters: Substance Abuse and The American Family (March 2005)

This White Paper explores the effects of substance use and addiction on the family unit as a whole and on children in particular. It examines the multiple ways in which the family influences its members, particularly its children, in their own choices about smoking, drinking and using other drugs and provides concrete and practical recommendations for family members to prevent substance use and to intervene when it occurs.

Click to download

Criminal Neglect: Substance Abuse, Juvenile Justice and The Children Left Behind (October 2004)

This report, presenting the results of a comprehensive study of substance use and the state juvenile justice systems, finds the four of every five children and teens (78.4 percent) in juvenile justice systems are under the influence of alcohol or other drugs while committing their crimes, test positive for drugs, are arrested for committing an alcohol or drug offense, admit having substance-related problems or share some combination of these characteristics. Of the 2.4 million arrests in 2000, 1.9 were substance involved yet only about 68,600 juveniles receive any form of addiction treatment. This report calls for a top to bottom overhaul in the way the nation treats juvenile offenders, including creation of a model juvenile justice code, training of all juvenile justice system staff, diversion of juveniles from deeper involvement in juvenile justice systems, and treatment, health care, education, job training and spiritually based programs and services.

Click to download

2004 CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse IX: Teen Dating Practices and Sexual Activity (August 2004)

This report presents the findings of the ninth annual CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse. The survey of 1,000 teens (ages 12-17) and 500 parents found that the more time a teen spends with a boyfriend or girlfriend, and the more sexually active friends a teen has, the greater the risk that teen will smoke, drink or use illegal drugs. The survey also found that girls who date boys two or more years older are at a high risk of substance abuse; teens half or more of whose friends regularly view and download Internet pornography, are more than three times likelier to smoke, drink or use illegal drugs, compared to those teens who do not engage in this behavior; and 44 percent of high school students think that boys at their school often or sometimes “push girls to drink alcohol or take drugs in order to get the girls to have sex or do other sexual things."

Click to download

Non-Medical Marijuana II: Rite Of Passage Or Russian Roulette? (April 2004)

This report explores recent research on the dangers of non-medical marijuana and cautions against complacency about use of the drug. The marijuana available to today's children is far more potent than what many of their parents smoked and, as is the case with nicotine cigarettes, we have accumulated considerable additional evidence of the dangers of its use. While marijuana use is leveling off, the drug's increased potency appears to be sending more teens into treatment facilities and emergency rooms. This White Paper reports that, from 1992 to 2001, the proportion of children and teenagers in treatment for marijuana dependence and abuse jumped 142 percent. It also finds that, from 1999 to 2002, emergency room admissions among 12- to 17-year olds where marijuana was implicated jumped 48 percent. Evidence of a connection between the use of marijuana and the later use of other illegal drugs continues to accumulate, as does evidence of the adverse effects of marijuana on the brain, heart and lungs.

Click to download

"You've Got Drugs!" Prescription Drug Pushers on the Internet (February 2004)

Click to download

Food for Thought: Substance Abuse and Eating Disorders (December 2003)

A comprehensive examination of the link between substance misuse and eating disorders that reveals that up to one-half of individuals with eating disorders misuse alcohol or illicit drugs compared to nine percent of the general population. Eating disorders can have devastating physical and mental health consequences, not the least of which is the increased potential for substance use. The link between eating disorders and substance use is not well understood and often is overlooked by health care professionals. This lack of understanding and awareness can lead to improper care.

Click to download

The Importance of Family Dinners (September 2003)

This report presents the findings of CASA's Family Day survey. The survey of 1,987 teens ages 12 to 17 found that the number of teens who have regular family dinners drops by 50 percent as their substance abuse risk increases sevenfold. The survey demonstrates the importance of regular family dinners, finding that, compared to teens who have family dinners twice a week or less, teens who have dinner with their families five or more nights in a week are 32 percent likelier never to have tried cigarettes (86 percent vs. 65 percent), 45 percent likelier never to have tried alcohol (68 percent vs. 47 percent), and 24 percent likelier never to have smoked pot (88 percent vs. 71 percent). This report also includes survey findings on the relationship between family dinners and teens' academic performance. Based on research showing that frequent family dinners reduce the risk of teens smoking, drinking and using illegal drugs, CASA first promoted Family Day: A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children in 2001. Since then, Family Day has been gaining acceptance and has been endorsed by numerous states, cities, counties, government agencies, community groups and private companies.

Click to download

Teen Cigarette Smoking and Marijuana Use (September 2003)

This report by CASAColumbia and the American Legacy Foundation finds that marijuana is pervasive in the life of a teenage cigarette smoker. Teens who smoke nicotine cigarettes are 14 times likelier to try marijuana, six times likelier to be able to buy marijuana in an hour or less and 18 times likelier to report that most of their friends smoke marijuana. Among teens who are repeat marijuana users, 60 percent tried cigarettes first. The findings indicate that reducing teen smoking can be a singularly effective way to reduce teen marijuana use.

Click to download

2003 CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse VIII: Teens and Parents (August 2003)

This report presents the findings of the eighth annual CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse. The survey of 1,987 teens (ages 12-17) and 504 parents found that the risk that teens will smoke, drink, get drunk and use illegal drugs increases sharply if they are highly stressed, frequently bored or have substantial amounts of spending money. This was the first time in its eight-year history that the survey measured the impact of these characteristics on the likelihood of teen substance abuse. Teens exhibiting two or three of these characteristics are at more than three times the risk of substance abuse as those exhibiting none of these characteristics. The survey also revealed that more than 5 million 12-to-17 year olds can buy marijuana in an hour or less, and another 5 million can buy marijuana within a day. For the first time in the survey's eight-year history, teens are as concerned about social and academic pressures as they are about drugs. Data also demonstrated an association between school size and substance-abuse risk: teens at schools with more than 1,200 students are twice as likely as teens at schools with less than 800 students to be at high risk of substance abuse. The proportion of students who say that drugs are used, kept or sold at their high schools is up 18 percent over 2002--this is a significant deterioration from last year, when most high school students attended drug-free schools.

Click to download

Crossing the Bridge: An Evaluation of the Drug Treatment Alternative-to-Prison (DTAP) Program (March 2003)

The Drug Treatment Alternative-to-Prison (DTAP) Program in Brooklyn, New York is designed to reduce the costly consequences of substance-related crime by targeting treatment to nonviolent repeat felony offenders with addiction who face mandatory punishment under New York State’s second felony offender law. This study evaluates how socially and economically effective a residential drug treatment program for repeat felony offenders can be (as measured by possible reduced recidivism rates, drug use levels, increases in legal employment rates, etc.) when compared to the alternative of incarceration.

Click to download

The Formative Years: Pathways to Substance Abuse Among Girls and Young Women Ages 8-22 (February 2003)

This report is a comprehensive analysis of the pathways to substance use among young females in America, the consequences of substance use unique to them and the efficacy of current prevention and treatment programs in serving their needs. It reveals the many life pathways that can hike the risk of substance use among girls and young women, including incorrect knowledge and beliefs about substances, inattentive parents, substance-using friends, schools and communities that turn a blind eye, physicians who are not vigilant to early warning signs, and exposure to the entertainment media and alcohol and cigarette advertising which shower girls and young women with unhealthy and unrealistic messages about smoking, drinking and weight loss. This report demonstrates that girls and young women use cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs for reasons different from boys, that the signals and situations of high risk are different and that girls are more vulnerable to substance use and its consequences.

Click to download

Teen Tipplers: America's Underage Drinking Epidemic (February 2003)

Alcohol is the #1 addictive substances used by children and teens in America. More than five million high school students (31 percent) say they binge drink at least once a month. This report assesses the extent and consequences of underage drinking and calls for a national mobilization to curb underage drinking. It sets out actions for parents, law enforcement, legislators, the entertainment industry and for a measure of self-control by the alcohol industry.

Click to download

The Economic Value of Underage and Adult Excessive Drinking to the Alcohol Industry (February 2003)

This White Paper presents the economic value to the alcohol industry of underage drinking and adult excessive drinking. It reveals that in 1999, underage drinkers consumed 19.7 percent of the alcohol consumed in the United States, spending $22.5 billion of the $116.2 billion spent that year on beer, wine and liquor and that adult excessive drinking accounted for 30.4 percent of the alcohol consumed in the United States, $34.4 billion of the $116.2 billion spent that year on beer, wine and liquor.

Click to download

2002 CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse VII: Teens, Parents and Siblings (August 2002)

This report presents the findings of the seventh annual CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse. The survey of 1,000 teens (age 12-17) and 541 parents was the first time in the history of the report that a majority of public school students reported that their school was drug free. Sixty-two percent of public school students and 79 percent of private school students said that they attended drug-free schools. This was also the first year that CASA assessed the impact of siblings on the likelihood of teen substance abuse. The survey revealed that siblings have a major impact on substance-abuse risk: teens who say their older brothers or sisters would be “very angry” to find out they were using marijuana are at substantially lower risk of substance abuse than teens whose older siblings would not be very angry. Data also indicated that between the ages of 12 and 16, teen substance abuse increases by almost 500 percent. Based on seven years of survey data, CASA compiled a list of ten questions that every parent should ask of the school their child attends to help their children stay drug and alcohol free.

Click to download

So Help Me God: Substance Abuse, Religion and Spirituality (November 2001)

This report examines the link between religion and spirituality and substance use and addiction. It calls for a better understanding by the clergy of the disease of addiction among members of their congregations and a better appreciation by the medical profession, especially psychiatrists and psychologists, of the power of God, religion and spirituality to help patients with this disease.

Click to download

Malignant Neglect: Substance Abuse and America's Schools (September 2001)

For at least 9.5 million high school students (60 percent) and almost five million middle school students (30 percent), back to school means returning to places where illegal drugs are used, kept and sold. For six consecutive years, 12- to 17-year olds have reported that drugs are the number one problem they face. Each year substance use costs our schools at least $41 billion dollars in truancy, special education and disciplinary programs, disruption, teacher turnover and property damage. This report is the first comprehensive analysis of all available data on substance use in our schools and among our students. It is designed to clarify how tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use affects schools and to suggest what it will take to make our schools and children substance free.

Click to download

CASAWORKS* for Families: A Promising Approach to Welfare Reform and Substance-Abusing Women (May 2001)

CASAWORKS for Families is the first national demonstration program to provide simultaneously drug and alcohol treatment; literacy, job, parenting and social skills training; family violence prevention and health care. Designed for welfare parents, this program holds enormous potential for reducing welfare costs and preventing substance abuse and addiction for the children of these parents. Early results indicate that after 12 months the proportion of enrolled women abstinent from alcohol increased by 60 percent, those abstinent from marijuana increased by more than 20 percent and those abstinent from cocaine increased by 34 percent.

Click to download

2001 CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse VI: Teens (February 2001)

This report presents the findings of the sixth annual CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse. The survey of 1,000 teens (age 12-17) reveals that parents who are “hands-on” – parents who have established a household culture of rules and expectations for their teen's behavior and monitor what their teens do such as the TV shows they watch, what they access on the Internet and the music CDs they buy, and where they are evenings and weekends - raise children who are less at risk of smoking, drinking, and using drugs. Contrary to conventional wisdom, teens in “hands-on” households are more likely to have an excellent relationship with their parents than teens with “hands-off” parents. The survey concluded that parents should be parents to their teenagers, not pals. Other findings: in 2000, cigarettes are harder to buy and marijuana easier to buy than in 1999, and 28% of teens know a friend or classmate who has used ecstasy.

Click to download

Shoveling Up: The Impact of Substance Abuse on State Budgets (January 2001)

In 1998, states spent $620 billion of their own funds to operate state government and provide public services such as education, Medicaid, child welfare, mental health and highway safety. A stunning 13.1 percent of that amount--$81.3 billion--went to shoveling up the wreckage of substance use and addiction. Governors and state legislatures have the largest financial, social and political interest in preventing and treating substance use and addiction, whether it involves alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs, and especially among children and teens.

Click to download

Substance Abuse and Learning Disabilities: Peas in a Pod or Apples and Oranges? (September 2000)

This White Paper examines the relationship between learning disabilities--which may affect up to 20 percent of school age children in America--and substance use. It finds that addressing learning disabilities early can prevent children from using alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs. The report provides a framework for future research and signals the importance of increased awareness on the part of parents, physicians, teachers and treatment providers as well as the research community.

Click to download

Winning At Any Cost: Doping in Olympic Sports (September 2000)

This report demonstrates how the high financial stakes for all involved in the Olympics, the explosion in performance-enhancing drugs and the lack of an effective policing system to detect the use of such drugs threaten the very integrity of the Olympic games. Because athletes are important role models for our children, the use of performance-enhancing drugs (a practice called doping in the international sports community) by Olympic athletes threatens the health of America's children.

Click to download

Missed Opportunity: National Survey of Primary Care Physicians and Patients on Substance Abuse (May 2000)

This study is the most comprehensive nationally representative survey of how primary care physicians deal with substance-using patients. It reveals that primary care physicians feel unprepared to diagnose addiction and lack confidence in the effectiveness of treatment. The report, which also surveyed patients in treatment on their experiences with primary care physicians, outlines a number of recommendations ranging from increasing addiction training in medical schools, residency programs and continuing medical education programs to holding physicians liable for negligent failure to diagnose addiction and encouraging their patients to seek help.

Click to download

No Place to Hide: Substance Abuse in Mid-Size Cities and Rural America (January 2000)

This report is the first comprehensive assessment and comparison of the prevalence of substance use and addiction by population centers based on a wide variety of data. It reveals that adults in small metropolitan and rural areas are just as likely as those in urban America to use illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Young teens in small metropolitan and rural areas are even more likely to use substances than those in large metropolitan areas.

Click to download

Dangerous Liaisons: Substance Abuse and Sex (December 1999)

This report is a comprehensive look at the intimate and complicated connections between alcohol and other drug use and sex. It illustrates and alerts parents, clergy, school teachers and counselors, professionals and teens to the dangerous liaisons between substance use and sexual activity, particularly for children, teens and women. The report urges that alcohol and drug treatment programs confront the connection and that drug and alcohol counselors be trained to spot and help deal with sexual problems of clients. Substance use prevention and sex education programs for children and teens should deal with the relationship between drinking and using drugs and sexual activity.

Click to download

1999 CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse V: Teens and Their Parents (September 1999)

This report presents the findings of the fifth annual CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse. The survey of 2,000 teens (age 12-17) and 1,000 parents (536 moms and 464 dads) was CASA's first attempt to gain valuable insights into how different types of families affect teen substance abuse risk. The most striking conclusion: too many dads are AWOL in the battle to keep kids drug free and this increases their teens risk of substance abuse. The CASA survey found that children living in two-parent families who have a fair or poor relationship with their father are at 68% higher risk of smoking, drinking and using drugs compared to all teens living in a two-parent household. The average teen living in a household headed by a single mother is at 30% higher risk compared to all teens in a two-parent household. The survey also revealed that teens consistently rate moms more favorably than dads.

Click to download

Non-Medical Marijuana: Rite of Passage or Russian Roulette? (July 1999)

This CASA White Paper is the most comprehensive report ever published on non-medical marijuana, drawing a clear distinction between medical and general use of marijuana. The report focuses on the suitable public policy to govern the general non-medical use of marijuana, analyzing the likely effects of both decriminalization and legalization, reviewing the historical lessons of America's marijuana policy and considering the experience of the Netherlands, which has decriminalized marijuana use. The report also details for parents the dangers of marijuana use by teens and children and marijuana's role as a gateway drug.

Click to download

No Safe Haven: Children of Substance-Abusing Parents (January 1999)

This study examines the connection between parental substance use and child abuse and neglect. It explores the consequences for parents and children and ramifications for policy and practice at the federal, state and local levels. It examines promising innovations within child welfare agencies and the courts focused on addressing parental substance use in families involved with the child welfare system. The report recommends changes in policy and practice that would improve outcomes for children and families.

Click to download

1998 CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse IV: Teens, Teachers and Principals (September 1998)

This report presents the findings of the fourth annual CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse. The 1998 research is the second national survey conducted of middle and high school teachers, principals, and teenagers (ages 12-17) on substance abuse in our nation's schools. The survey reveals that the transition from age 12 to 13 is the most critical turning point for America's children. It is the year when their access and exposure to illegal drugs skyrocket while parental involvement in their lives dramatically diminishes. Teens surveyed also say that smoking, drinking and using pot is commonplace at their schools; yet, there is a disconnect between the teens' experiences and what principals and teachers perceive is happening at their schools.

Click to download

Under the Rug: Substance Abuse and The Mature Woman (June 1998)

This report provides an analysis of the extent, nature and consequences of substance use and addiction among women over age 59. This two-year study includes the findings from a national survey of physicians, and examination of prescription drug use patterns by mature women and an analysis of health care costs attributable to substance use in this population. The report reveals the high financial and human costs associated with substance use by mature women and identifies effective prevention and treatment strategies.

Click to download

Behind Bars: Substance Abuse and America's Prison Population (January 1998)

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the impact of drug and alcohol use on the nation's prison and jail population. The report includes analyses of the relationship between substance use, crime and the prison population; inmate characteristics; the impact of substance use on women inmates; HIV/AIDS among inmates; the economic and social costs of inmate substance involvement; the availability and effectiveness of treatment and other rehabilitative services; new innovations to reduce the impact of substance use; and key recommendations for improving the criminal justice system's response to alcohol- and other drug-related crime and substance-involved inmates.

Click to download

1997 CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse III: Teens, Their Parents, Teachers and Principals (September 1997)

This report presents the findings of the third annual CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse. The 1997 research is the first national survey conducted of middle and high school teachers, principals, teenagers and their parents on substance abuse in our nation's schools. The survey reveals that deaths from substance abuse-related incidents, kids coming to school drunk or high, smoking, drinking and drug sales on school grounds, students expelled or suspended for possessing, using or selling drugs and parties where marijuana is available are commonplace in the lives of our middle and high schoolers.

Click to download

Substance Abuse and the American Adolescent: A Report by the Commission on Substance Abuse Among America's Adolescents (August 1997)

This study summarizes current knowledge about adolescence and substance use and identifies practical steps parents, teachers and schools, the religious community, the entertainment, advertising and fashion industries, doctors and nurses and government can take to bring down the high rates of substance use among adolescents.

Click to download

Public Housing and Substance Abuse: Access to Treatment (May 1997)

Public housing residents with drug or alcohol problems suffer from numerous health problems associated with their drug and alcohol abuse. This study sheds light on the problem of substance abuse in America's public housing system, details strategies for providing treatment services and outlines a policy framework by which public housing authorities might meet the need for treatment services rather than depend on eviction policies to deal with addiction among residents.

Click to purchase

Survey of California Voters on Proposition 215 and Marijuana Legalization (October 1996)

This report is based on the results of a telephone survey -- the first to analyze at length opinions of Prop 215 -- conducted October 19 and 20, 1996. 800 interviews were conducted with a sample of registered and self-described likely voters. Respondent households were initially selected by means of a random digit dial procedure, then screened for vote eligibility and likelihood. The margin of sampling error associated with a survey of this size is + or - 3.5 %.

Click to download

1996 CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse II: Teens and Their Parents (September 1996)

The first survey ever conducted of teens' and their parents' attitudes about tobacco, alcohol and illegal drugs. Some findings are: the number of teens who expect to try illegal drugs doubled since 1995; 68% of 17 year-olds can buy marijuana within a day; nearly half of baby boomer parents believe their teens will try illegal drugs; 32% of parents have friends who use marijuana.

Click to download

Substance Abuse and The American Woman (June 1996)

This study focuses on women's patterns of substance use and addiction and the consequences for themselves and their children. The study documents what is known about the problem, provides new insights into the costs and impact of substance use and addiction on women and their children, identifies where more research is needed and analyzes public policy ramifications.

Click to download

Substance Abuse and the American Woman Bibliography (June 1996)

Bibliography to Substance Abuse and the American Woman.

Click to download

Substance Abuse and Urban America: Its Impact on an American City, New York (February 1996)

Substance abuse and addiction in New York City cost taxpayers $20 billion in 1994. That is the conclusion of this first-ever in-depth study on the impact of the abuse of all substances on urban America. This two and one-half year effort estimates the impact of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug abuse on a city's health and criminal justice systems, business and economy, social services, housing and homelessness, and assesses how substance abuse affects the fabric and quality of everyday life for children and families, streets, schools and stores, parks and prisons, churches and communities.

Click to purchase

Legalization: Panacea or Pandora's Box (September 1995)

This, CASA's first White Paper, examines arguments for legalizing drugs; trends in drug use, probable consequences of legalization for violence and crime, lessons to be learned from America's legal drugs, alcohol and tobacco, the question of civil liberties, and experiences of foreign countries. The paper concludes that legalization would be devastating to society, particularly children.

Click to purchase

1995 CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse I (July 1995)

This report is the most comprehensive survey of Americans' attitudes towards substance abuse and addiction. CASA surveyed a representative sample of 2,000 adults and 400 teens (ages 12 - 17). Among other things, it found that adolescents believe that drugs are the biggest problem they face, and that Americans believe that too little is being done about illegal drugs and support increases in prevention and treatment.

Click to purchase

Substance Abuse and Federal Entitlement Programs (February 1995)

This report evaluates the impact of tobacco, alcohol and drug abuse on Federal entitlement programs. The cost impact is estimated for disability and health programs, and the prevalence of substance abuse among welfare recipients is reported.

Click to purchase

Cigarettes, Alcohol, Marijuana: Gateways to Illicit Drug Use (October 1994)

This report uses the 1991 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) to investigate the impact of children's use of gateway drugs - cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana - on the probability of their subsequent use of illicit drugs such as cocaine.

This report is the first to examine the gateway hypothesis for cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana on both children and adults using the largest cross-sectional, national drug use survey. The data presented in this report were derived from the 1991 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse and the analyses were conducted by CASA's Substance Abuse Data Analysis Center (SADAC). In presenting new evidence on gateway drugs based upon national data, CASA makes an even stronger case that adolescent use of cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana is linked to subsequent use of other illicit drugs and proposes recommendations regarding new directions for research and prevention activities for children.

Click to purchase

Substance Abuse and Women on Welfare (June 1994)

This report examines the extent and impact of substance use in the Aid to Families with Dependent Children population. It includes a discussion of the implications of substance use for welfare spending and welfare reform. Overall, 28 percent of adult individuals receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) misuse or have addiction involving alcohol or other drugs, a higher rate than the 20 percent of people in a comparable age group not receiving public assistance. Since almost 90 percent of adult AFDC recipients are female, this report focuses on this population.

Click to download

Rethinking Rites of Passage: Substance Abuse on America's Campuses (June 1994)

This report calls upon colleges and universities to create a culture that nurtures and supports all aspects of a student's life, both in and out of the classroom, and to focus their efforts on preventing student substance use, particularly excessive drinking, rather than viewing these behaviors as a normal rite of passage.

Click to download

The Cost of Substance Abuse to America's Health Care System; Report 2: Medicare Hospital Costs (May 1994)

$20 billion 1994 inpatient Medicare hospital payments are due to substance use and addiction. Over the next 20 years, Medicare will pay out more than $1 trillion for hospital care related to substance use and addiction.

Click to download

Smoke-Free Campus: A Report by the Commission on Substance Abuse at Colleges and Universities (August 1993)

This report discusses the importance of a smoke-free environment and recommends steps for colleges and universities to take to create a smoke-free campus.

Click to download

The Cost of Substance Abuse to America's Health Care System; Report 1: Medicaid Hospital Costs (July 1993)

This report documents the amount of Medicaid hospital spending that can be directly and indirectly attributed to tobacco, alcohol and other drug use. Based on an extensive analysis of epidemiologic and medical literature relating substance use to morbidity, estimates are made of the spending in these programs in which substance use was either a causal or complicating factor. The findings suggest that substance use and addiction cause or contribute to more than 70 other conditions requiring medical care, such as heart disease and cancer.

Click to purchase

International Demand Reduction Policy: Ways to Strengthen the U.S. Drug Strategy (May 1993)

This paper is based on a two-day meeting of substance abuse and foreign policy experts convened by CASA on the potential role of international demand reduction in America's war on drugs and in policy and program approaches to reducing world-wide use and abuse of illicit substances.

Click to purchase

Maximizing the Use of Medicaid Under the ACCESS Demonstration Program: An Opportunity for Experimentation (April 1993)

This document was a resource for state and local officials applying for grants to strengthen systems of treatment, housing, and support for homeless people with severe mental illness. This information was not only valuable to states applying for this grant program, but continues to be useful to states in using Medicaid to pay for services to other groups with chronic and complex problems.

Click to purchase