Subjective Definitions of Substance Abuse Problems:

The language associated with substance use behavior§is not clearly defined, making effective§communication on the topic difficult. This work§sheds light on how substance abuse is conceptualized,§discussed, and perceived. Focus groups and surveys§are employed to explore how substance abuse problems§are defined among Baby Boomers and college students.§ Age-specific vignettes describing substance use§behavior of hypothetical individuals allow for an§examination of stereotyping and in-group/out-group§thinking, however significant findings suggest that§these frameworks are not the dominant influence on§respondent perceptions. Instead, the concepts of age§norms and the growing-up effect are more helpful in§making connections among study outcomes. These§outcomes overwhelmingly indicate that age matters §when forming opinions about substance use behavior. §This publication as a whole serves as one reference§point for studies further investigating the ambiguous§nature of substance abuse discourse. The analysis§should also be especially useful to those interested§in the age normative framework and/or the idea that partying in college is a rite of passage in today s§society.