Drug Abuse Prevention Programming Do We Know What Content Works?
Document Type
Article
Department
Behavioral and Organizational Sciences (CGU), Community and Global Health (CGU)
Publication Date
6-1996
Disciplines
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Abstract
This article summarizes the theoretical underpinnings, substantive contents, and limitations of comprehensive social-influences-based drug abuse prevention programming. This type of programming has produced the most consistently successful preventive effects. There is some evidence that one major part of these programs, changing social norms, is an essential ingredient for successful drug abuse prevention programming. Research suggests that these effects may not be contingent on the use of refusal assertion training, a prototype activity of social-influences-based prevention programs. Because programs, when disseminated to the public, often contain only a subset of lessons from the social influences curriculum, there remains the potential error of implementing a combination of lessons that may not be effective. Further, there is evidence that other types of prevention programming, such as physical consequences programming, may be successful in some situations. Finally, social-influences-based programming may not be as effective with some subpopulations such as high-risk youths.
Rights Information
© 1996 SAGE Publications
DOI
10.1177/0002764296039007008
Recommended Citation
Donaldson, S. I., Sussman, S., MacKinnon, D. P., Severson, H. H., Glyn, T., Murray, D. M., & Stone, E. J. (1996). Drug abuse prevention programming: Do we know what content works? American Behavioral Scientist, 39, 868-883. doi: 10.1177/0002764296039007008
