initiation and evolution of serious drug abuse behaviors is critical. .
Cultural and societal norms frame acceptable standards for substance abuse. These .
standards also have a historical context. The nonacceptance of alcohol use during .
prohibition and the acceptance of marijuana use during the 1970 are examples of the .
cultural and historical context in the United States. Adolescents are influenced by these .
factors and by adult role models and environmental messages related to substances. In .
the context of the 1990s, occasional or situational use of certain substances such as .
alcohol, marijuana and cigarettes may be viewed as "normative- given the proportion of .
youth who report some experience with these substances. .
The developmental considerations are probably the most important for this age group. .
Substance use for most teenagers is not an issue of psychopathology but of the influence .
on normal functioning. Drug use in younger, less experienced adolescents can act as a .
substitute for developing age-appropriate coping strategies and enhance vulnerability to .
poor decision-making. When drug use begins to negatively alter functioning in older .
adolescents at school and in the family, and risk-taking behavior is seen, intervention is .
warranted. Serious drug use is not an isolated phenomenon. It is a part of a complex set .
of family and individual issues that should be addressed in a comprehensive fashion. The .
challenge to the community and society is to create norms that decrease the likelihood of .
adverse health outcomes for adolescents and promote and facilitate opportunities for .
adolescents to choose healthier and safer options for experimentations. .
The determinants of adolescent substance use and abuse have been explained using a .
number of theoretical models. Most of the models include factors at the individual levels, .
the level of significant relationships with others, and the level of the setting, that is, .
