ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with adolescent alcohol and drug use and with the prevention and treatment of substance use problems. It begins with a description of the characteristics of substance use and reviews of the risk factors for the development of such problems. Individual and interpersonal risk factors operate in the micro- and meso-systems, particularly in the adolescent's family and proximal social networks. The identification of risk factors is important to develop intervention programs that can target core predictors of substance use. Like intervention and prevention programs for other mental health issues, drug prevention and treatment should have a strong theoretical rationale explaining mechanisms and trajectories of adolescent drug use. Family-based models for adolescent drug abuse may impact other problems as well because they address underlying risk factors common to related problem behavior. The chapter focuses on alcohol and soft drugs such as cannabis and marijuana.
