Three Decades of Drug Prevention Research

Abstract

Dozens of drug prevention programmes have been developed and examined in the past few decades. These interventions are aimed at tobacco, alcohol or all substances. Prevention programmes have different goals, including the following: increasing knowledge about drugs; reducing the use; delaying the onset of first use; reducing abuse; minimizing the harm caused by the use. Most research has been conducted on school-based drug prevention programmes. School-based drug prevention programmes that used interactive methods were found in research to reduce the use of drugs. All school-based drug prevention programmes (interactive and non-interactive) that have examined increase the knowledge about drugs. Although effective school-based prevention programmes are available, the dissemination at schools has not been successful for most programmes. Family-based drug prevention programmes are a promising new area of drug prevention. Most research examining the effects of mass media campaigns about drugs is flawed by major methodological problems. Results suggest that these campaigns cannot reduce the use of substances, but they may increase the effects of community-based interventions. Community interventions (a combined set of activities organized in a specific region or town, with the participation of the residents) are possibly more effective than each of the interventions alone.