PALS Prevention Program and Its Long-Term Impact on Student Intentions To Use Alcohol, Tobacco, and Marijuana

• NCJ Number: 243862
• Journal: Journal of Drug Education Volume: 42 Issue: 4 Dated: 2012 Pages: 469-485
• Author(s): Judson W. Workman; Mary J. Huber; Jo Ann Ford; Theresa Mayer; Dennis Moore; Josephine F. Wilson; Nicole Kinzeler
• Date Published: 2012
• Length: 17 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Ohio Dept of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services; Ohio Dept of Education Dept for Exceptional Children
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the effectiveness of the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug (ATOD) prevention program called PALS (Prevention through Alternative Learning Styles) implemented with middle school students.

Abstract

A unique Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug (ATOD) prevention program called PALS (Prevention through Alternative Learning Styles) was implemented with middle school students with the goal of enhancing student knowledge of the harmful effects of ATOD, promoting the use of refusal skills and reducing intentions to use ATOD in the future. Intentions to use were measured at four points: pre-PALS, post-PALS, and at 1-year and 2-year follow-ups. Student survey responses were then matched and compared across the four time periods. This article reports on the long-term effectiveness of PALS on student intentions to use ATOD in high school. When follow-up surveys of PALS students were compared to students not exposed to PALS (comparison group), the PALS students had significantly lower intentions to use alcohol and tobacco, providing evidence that the PALS intervention did have a long-term impact on intentions to use these substances. (Published Abstract)