关键词：物质滥用；青少年；危险因素；医药
摘 要：An adolescent's perception of the risks associated with substance use is an important determinant of whether he or she engages in substance use. For example, youths who perceive high risk of harm are less likely to use drugs than youths who perceive low risk of harm. Thus, providing adolescents with credible, accurate, and age-appropriate information about the harm associated with substance use is a key component in prevention programming. Expanding upon research that shows the predictive nature of risk perceptions to subsequent substance use among adolescents, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) provides an opportunity to conduct a cross-sectional analysis of the changes over time in the prevalence of substance use and perceptions of risk. Although cross-sectional analysis cannot confirm that increases in substance use are a direct result of decreases in perceptions of risk, this report examines how rates of substance use and perceived risk vary over time and in relation to each other. Understanding the relationship between risk perception and substance use during adolescence may help to better target health promotion messages and increase the effectiveness of prevention and intervention programs.