Effective and Commercially Viable Drug Abuse Education

This research develops, tests, and disseminates a curriculum-based program which is effectivein preventing the onset of substance use and abuse among adolescents. The program is delivered in theinitial year to middle or junior high school by trained specialists. Programmatic focus addressesmediating processes which account for substance use onset. The program integrates innovativeapproaches based on recently identified etiologic mechanisms. In addition to addressing these mediatingprocesses, it is also structured to take advantage of other empirically validated risk and protectivefactors that are associated with substance use. To strengthen the potential for the program to beintegrated, strategies for enhancing community relations and for training non-specialist teachers in themethods and concepts of the program are developed.