Preventing Drug Abuse

Abstract

This comparision of five approaches to drug abuse prevention-one education program, two treatment programs, and two law enforcement approaches—in terms of the number of "addiction years" prevented by an infusion of financial resources reveals that drug education, directed toward children 12 to 18 years old in secondary schools, is the most cost-effective approach. It is pointed out that drug education at the secondary school level also reaches a broader segment of the population, one that is more representative of the community in terms of sex, race, and socioeconomic status. The effects of government funding policies on local program implementation are noted.