NCJ Number
181252
Journal
Substance Use & Misuse Volume: 35 Issue: 1-2 Dated: January 2000 Pages: 111-123
Editor(s)
Stanley Einstein Ph.D.
Date Published
2000
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This article looks at the present Finnish situation in planning and developing community-level programs to prevent alcohol and drug problems and the experiences gained so far.
Abstract
Results from the first extensive evaluated project of this kind in Finland, the Lahti Project, and program and evaluation plans for a new project in the Helsinki metropolitan area are described. It is argued that, in the present Finnish context, there is a need for detailed theoretical and well-measured evaluation on why results of community-based prevention are or are not achieved. The author pays specific attention to elements of community research, content analysis, and basic areas to evaluated in assessing a program's effectiveness. She concludes that community-based prevention of alcohol and drug problems is likely to combine the resources of well-organized welfare services in municipalities with grass roots voluntary work and that a successful program will not be horizontal or vertical but rather mixed. A glossary of evaluation terms is included. 6 references and 1 figure