Little is known about influences on e-cigarette use among early adolescents. This study examined influences that have been previously found to be associated with gateway drug use in adolescents: demographic (age, gender, ethnicity, free lunch), social contextual influences of parents and peers, and executive function deficits (EF). A cross-sectional survey was administered to 410 7th grade students from two diverse school districts in Southern California (M age;=12.4years, 48.3% female, 34.9% on free lunch (low socioeconomic status), 45.1% White, 25.4% Hispanic/Latino, 14.9% Mixed/bi-racial.) Logistic regression analyses examined influences of demographic, parent e-cigarette ownership and peer use, and EF on lifetime e-cigarette, and gateway drug use (cigarette and/or alcohol use). Lifetime use prevalence was 11.0% for e-cigarettes, 6.8% for cigarettes, and 38.1% for alcohol. Free lunch and age were marginally related to e-cigarette use (p<.10). Parent e-cigarette ownership was associated with use of all substances, while peer use was associated with gateway drug use (p's<.05-.001). EF deficits were associated with use of all substances five times more likely than others to use e-cigarettes and over twice as likely to use gateway drugs. E-cigarette and gateway drug use may have common underlying risk factors in early adolescence, including parent and peer modeling of substance use, as well as EF deficits. Future research is needed to examine longitudinal relationships of demographics, parent and peer modeling, and EF deficits to e-cigarette use in larger samples, trajectories of e-cigarette use compared to use of other substances, and the potential of EF skills training programs to prevent e-cigarette use.

Drug use has been gradually declining among early and mid-adolescents since 1997. The timing of the decline roughly matches the introduction and diffusion (spread) of evidence-based prevention to middle schools in the United States. Evidence-based prevention refers to prevention programs, strategies, and policies that have been rigorously tested under research conditions and found to be effective in changing adolescent drug use behavior and attitudes. Federal and state funding for prevention is increasingly tied to community and school commitments to use only evidence-based strategies. However, local interpretation of what constitutes evidence-based prevention is highly variable, and subject to lack of knowledge about characteristics of evidence-based prevention, local politics and preferences for the status quo, and attempts to change parameters of evidence-based programs to fit perceived local needs. The current article reviews and synthesizes the characteristics and impact of evidence-based prevention, including the use of theoretical, process, and structural models; content guided by risk and protective factors for drug use; and settings and components of prevention delivery. Issues of adoption, implementation, and diffusion of evidence-based prevention are discussed. Gaps in knowledge of how to move the U.S. from research to practice are presented in terms of future researchable questions. Finally, the changing nature of prevention research is discussed as “action research,” involving the negotiated partnership of the researcher and the community, and feedback of research results to communities to use as a planning tool for prevention.

Non-medical/illegal use of prescription stimulants popularly have been referred to as "study drugs". This paper discusses the current prevalence and consequences of misuse of these drugs and implications of this information for drug policy. Study drugs are being misused annually by approximately 4% of older teens and emerging adults. Yet, there are numerous consequences of misuse of prescription stimulants including addiction, negative reactions to high dosages, and medical complications. Policy implications include continuing to limit access to study drugs, finding more safe prescription drug alternatives, interdiction, and public education. Much more work is needed on prescription stimulant misuse assessment, identifying the extent of the social and economic costs of misuse, monitoring and reducing access, and developing prevention and cessation education efforts.

Background: E-cigarettes are sold at many different types of retail establishments. A new type of shop has emerged, the vape shop, which specializes in sales of varied types of e-cigarettes. Vape shops allow users to sample several types. There are no empirical research articles on vape shops....