Journal of Addiction Research & Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

S ubstance abuse has been a topic of great concern over the past 15 years. Current data suggests that prescription of drug use is higher among European Americans, particularly, among adolescents. Contemporary trends also suggest that there is an increase in use a mong young urban African Americans. The popularity of haphazard pill popping has been expressed in hip hop; for example, promethazine (lean) and MDMA (ecstasy or mollies). These drugs, combined with the increase in the prescription drugs such as xanax, oxycontin, percocet, all have been increasingly used among young African Americans. The recreational use of these opioid analgesics becomes even more problematic when accompanied by the use of alcohol. The current study will investigate trends and shifts in drug use among young urban African Americans as well as discuss the need for practitioners and street-level recovery personnel to become educated regarding the deleterious impact of these new drugs. Moreover, the talk will discuss the long term psychological, social, and cognitive impacts of these during emerging adulthood.

Biography

Jonathan N Livingston received his Doctorate in Community Psychology, and prior to attending Michigan State, he received a Masters in African and African American psychology at Florida A&M University. His areas of interests are African American psychological well-being and the cumulative effects of racism and social inequalities on African American mental health and health disparities. Additional areas of interest include program evaluation, community development, and education reform. He has served as Director of Outreach for the Export Grant, a project of the Julius Chambers Biomedical Bio-technical Research Institute, evaluating the effectiveness of their efforts to reduce health disparities and educate the African American community about alcohol and substance abuse; cancer and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Currently he serves as lead research faculty for the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences. Also while at NCCU he has assisted in securing over 1.8 million in grant money from federal and state agencies. He has authored and co-authored peer reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and newspaper articles on race, psychology, mental health, health disparities, and education, as well as presented his research at a number of national and international conferences