NCJ Number
148960
Journal
Journal of Drug Education Volume: 23 Issue: 4 Dated: (1993) Pages: 325-331
Date Published
1993
Length
7 pages
Annotation
After a brief survey of the evolution of drug education programming in the United States, this article examines recent longitudinal research on the antecedents of drug abuse among juveniles, followed by suggestions for a new approach to drug education programs.
Abstract
A recent critical review of alcohol prevention programs and policies directed at the reduction of alcohol-related morbidity and mortality concluded that "little evidence currently exists to support the efficacy of primary prevention programs." This review and analysis of primary prevention programs concluded that it is difficult to establish that education programs have been effective in changing long-term drug use behaviors. Much of the research is methodologically insufficient to provide strong external validity. A more realistic approach to reduce drug abuse may be to combat the problems confronting the minority of juveniles who are experiencing serious psychological dysfunction that is compounded by drug and alcohol abuse. The vast resources for drug education are now being diluted because of attempts to disseminate such education to a disparate target population. Instead, these resources should be augmented and more clearly focused on those youths at risk. Intensive, sustained efforts could then be directed at identifying those high-risk youths, using a combination of educational prevention programs, mass media campaigns, and family, community, workplace, and environmental strategies. A model for such efforts has been pioneered in the Chicago Woodlawn Program of the 1960's and 1970's. 19 references