Department of Justice 2004) relative to those who graduate from high school. The vast majority of high school dropouts are males and these male students are mostly from urban areas with a lack of social support.
II. Literature Review
While reviewing articles on high school dropouts, all articles showed a direct or indirect relation between high school dropouts and substance abuse. By comparing individuals who have dropped out with those who have graduated from high school, a variety of studies have consistently illustrated that dropouts have much higher rates of substance use. According to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) more than 12,000 17 to 22-year-olds, Groeferer and colleagues (1997) found that high school dropouts were significantly more likely than high school graduates to have used marijuana and cigarettes during the past month. Students who in high school are substances abuse users as well. Administration (2013) updated this analysis by looking at data from the 2002 through 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). It showed that among 16- to 18-year-olds, students who were enrolled in twelfth grade used alcohol and other drugs at significantly lower rates than dropouts. The U.S. First, Beauvais and colleagues (1996) reported statistically significant differences in drug use between three groups: students in good academic standing, students in poor academic standing, and school dropouts. Dropouts were defined, as students recruited from the community who had not attended school for at least 30 days, had not officially transferred to another school, and who had not been in contact with school authorities seeking readmission. All groups were matched on the school they were or had been attending. Results showed that about one-fifth of female dropouts and about one-third of male dropouts were involved in heavy drug use,