Peace through superior firepower: Belief in supernatural evil and attitudes toward gun policy in the United States.

Although debates over guns and gun control have roiled the contemporary political scene, the role of religion has received only limited attention from scholars. We contribute to this literature by developing a series of theoretical arguments linking one specific facet of religion -belief in supernatural evil (i.e., the Devil/Satan, Hell, and demons)-and a range of gun policy attitudes. Relevant hypotheses are then tested using data from the 2014 Baylor Religion Survey (n = 1572). Results show that belief in supernatural evil is a robust predictor of support for policies that expand gun rights. Overall, the estimated net effects of belief in supernatural evil withstand statistical controls for a host of sociodemographic covariates, and, importantly, political ideology. Very few other aspects of religion are associated with any of these gun policy attitudes. Implications and study limitations are discussed, and promising directions for future research on religion and guns are identified.

Deterrence theory and the role of shame in projected offending of college students against a ban on alcohol.

In the present study we advance previous research in deterrence theory by examining the perceived deterrent effects of a newly instituted dry policy on a college campus. A survey of 500 full-time undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 26 was conducted 3 months following the ban on alcohol. Hypotheses are derived from deterrence theory and focus on both formal and informal sanctions as they predict projected offending. Findings indicate that perceived severity of the sanction does not predict deterrence against future policy violations. However, the informal deterrent of shame does lower projected offending. While these results suggest that a formal dry policy is not likely to deter future problem drinking behaviors among these college students, reductions may be achieved with the use of informal sanctions and the incorporation of principles from reintegrative shaming theory.

Investigating how decisions to use marijuana change over time.

This article examines illicit drug use from a decision-making perspective using data collected during 2000-2002 from 51 current and ex-users of marijuana in a large urban city in the central/southwest United States. A qualitative inductive approach based on grounded theory guided the analyses. We find that prior to experimentation and use, decision-making processes are general and nonspecific. In the later stages of drug involvement, decision-making processes become drug-specific. Individuals consider a number of different types of factors when making decisions about illicit drug use involvement. The study's implications and limitations are discussed and future research suggested.

Gender role orientations and alcohol use among Moscow and Toronto adults.

Using self-report data from representative community samples of Moscow and Toronto adults, we examine the effects of sex, masculinity, and femininity on alcohol use. Consistent with prior research, our results show that men in Moscow and Toronto drink significantly more than women; women in both samples tend more toward conventional femininity than men; and masculinity levels are greater among Toronto men relative to Toronto women. Moscow men and women, however, show comparable masculinity levels. Neither masculinity nor femininity explains the sex gap in alcohol use in either sample. However, sex- and sample-specific effects are identified. In Toronto, femininity is associated with higher alcohol use among women. In Moscow, masculinity is associated with lower use among men and higher use among women. The findings provide preliminary support for our assertion that the characteristics of national contexts, such as drinking norms and "Soviet-style socialism" [Cockerham, Snead, and Dewaal (2002). Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 43, 42-55] interact with traditional gender role orientations to influence alcohol use patterns. We suggest that a movement toward culturally sensitive policies that consider sex-specific social expectations and responses may contribute to improved health outcomes across nations.

Effects of drug treatment for heroin sniffers: a protective factor against moving to injection?

We explore the relationship between contact with treatment and transition to injection for heroin sniffers. Our primary research question is, does contact with treatment delay onset of injection for heroin sniffers? A stratified network-based sample was recruited from multiple communities in South Florida which were known for high drug use. Three categories of respondents were recruited based on injection outcome: long-term injectors, short-term injectors, and sniffers (n = 900). We answer our research question in two steps. First, we investigate the prevalence of drug treatment for heroin sniffers and injectors using case-control methods. The preliminary findings indicate a positive relationship between contact with treatment and injection status outcome. Second, we further examine the relationship by attempting to identify the causal factors that delay initial injection for a subgroup of current injectors using survival regression procedures. Delaying or preventing transition to injection could significantly decrease risk of HIV transmission by reducing or eliminating risky injecting behaviors. We conclude with a discussion of policy implications and suggestions for future research.