Substance Abuse Prevention: Theory, Practice, and Effectiveness (From Drugs and Crime, V 13, P 461-519, 1990, Michael Tonry and James Q Wilson, eds. -- See NCJ-125241)

• NCJ Number: 125250
• Author(s): G J Botvin
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 59 pages
• Sale Source: University of Chicago Press
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This overview of the evolving field of substance-abuse prevention features the description and evaluation of a "new generation" of substance-abuse prevention programs that emphasize psychosocial factors believed to influence the initiation of tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse.

Abstract

Drug prevention strategies have included school-based prevention/education programs, mass media campaigns, youth clubs and activities designed as alternatives to substance use, and community-based movements. Evaluation studies show that these interventions have frequently increased knowledge and awareness and have occasionally modified attitudes and other drug-related variables; however, rarely have any of these interventions impacted substance-use behavior. A significant exception is a class of school-based primary prevention approaches that focus on key psychosocial factors promoting adolescent substance use. These approaches include either resistance-skills training alone or in combination with life-skills training. Although the evolution of these programs is an encouraging development in a field with many failures, the extant empirical and theoretical literature identifies the need for a comprehensive prevention strategy that combines school-based interventions with those affecting the family, social institutions, and the larger community. Research is required to determine the most effective combination of components. 4 tables, 1 figures, and 108 reference