Community Prevention Intervention to Reduce Youth From Inhaling and Ingesting Harmful Legal Products

• NCJ Number: 220895
• Journal: Journal of Drug Education Volume: 37 Issue: 3 Dated: 2007 Pages: 227-247
• Author(s): Knowlton Johnson Ph.D.; Harold Holder Ph.D.; Kristen Ogilvie M.A.; David Collins Ph.D.; Diane Ogilvie M.A.Ed; Brian Saylor Ph.D.; Matthew Courser Ph.D.; Brenda Miller Ph.D.; Roland Moore Ph.D.; Bob Saltz Ph.D.
• Date Published: 2007
• Length: 21 pages
• Grant Number(s): 1 R01 DA015966
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This paper presents the results of a feasibility project for a comprehensive, community-based intervention program designed to prevent youth from inhaling or ingesting household products, prescription drugs, and over-the-counter drugs.

Abstract

The feasibility test of the program design in four Alaskan communities showed the practical and potential effectiveness of the comprehensive and complementary components of the intervention, which should be empirically tested under controlled conditions as an efficacy trial. Suggestions are offered for what should be measured in an efficacy trial of this comprehensive community intervention. The components of the intervention design are community mobilization, environmental strategies, and school-based prevention education. In the feasibility project, community mobilization involved an assessment of community readiness; building and expanding the base; developing and implementing a plan of action; and seeking feedback, disseminating results, and sustaining effort. Results of the posttest for community readiness showed significant improvement in all four communities, suggesting that the mobilization strategy worked. The environmental strategy focused on ways that retail outlets, parents, and schools could engage in actions designed to reduce youth access to and motivation to inhale and ingest various harmful substances. Baseline and followup testing showed the feasibility of most of the actions associated with these strategies. School-based youth prevention education involved the use of the "Think Smart" curriculum, which addresses risk factors associated with youth substance abuse and building protective factors in preadolescents. The risk factors addressed in this curriculum include peer pressure, poor communication or social skills, and poor decisionmaking skills or low self-esteem. Feasibility results showed moderate to high compliance in the implementation of the curriculum, and the students experienced positive change in their cognitive skills, but not in their behavioral skills. 71 references