A recent report published in the Journal of School Health outlines elements that make an alcohol or drug prevention program effective. The researchers spent nearly five years collecting data, interviewing experts and looking at actual programs being used in the schools. Their findings reveal that traditional drug prevention programs which only inform students about drugs and alcohol are ineffective. Of special importance are the theories about why people become addicted and the research on risk factors.
Effective programs offer developmentally appropriate information.
Information about short-term negative social consequences of use should be a primary ingredient in any program. The most effective programs teach social resistance skills. Teach teens that most people do not use drugs and alcohol. Personal and social skills training. Building these skills actually leads to reductions in drug and alcohol use among teens.