Promising Programs for Substance Abuse Prevention: Replication and Evaluation Initiative

The purpose of this study is to conduct longitudinal evaluations of two substance abuse prevention programs, Projects ALERT (PA) and SUCCESS (PS), which target universal and indicated student populations, respectively. PA, which constitutes the nation's lead evidence-based substance use prevention curriculum, has demonstrated effects on tobacco and marijuana (but not alcohol). PS represents one of a very few evidence-based programs available for high-risk youth in alternative school settings, and has demonstrated short-term effects on an index of multiple drug use. Neither project has been replicated and evaluated by researchers working independently of its developer. Further, PS has not been subjected to an evaluation beyond an immediate post-test. With project funds, the grantee has recruited 34 middle schools and 14 alternative high schools for PA and PS, respectively, and are implementing both prevention curricula to 17 and 7 schools, respectively, that have been randomly assigned to receive the interventions. The primary outcome to be assessed is 30-day substance use. Data are being collected by means of three surveys, namely a pretest and two post-tests spaced one year apart. The purpose of these evaluations is to assess the programs' value in reducing substance use and thereby juvenile delinquency.CA/NCF