NCJ Number
185361
Journal
Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2000 Pages: 109-126
Date Published
May 2000
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This article evaluates the effectiveness of primary school drug education.
Abstract
Early use of drugs such as tobacco and alcohol, associated with later drug misuse, and the age of initiation into drug use is falling in the U.K. and elsewhere. Arguably, educational interventions must start in the primary school in order to maximize any preventive impact, yet such education is underdeveloped and poorly researched. This article reviews the (mainly U.S.) literature on the effectiveness of school-based educational interventions targeted at children below 11 years of age with the objective of preventing illicit drug use. The major British study suggested that a broad-based, life-skills program could help prevent drug use. Other British studies have demonstrated the feasibility of implementing drug education in the primary school and some have recorded improvements in variables thought to relate to later drug use/problems. Outside the U.K., studies of two popular approaches (DARE and Life Education Centers) have been generally inconclusive or disappointing. However, evidence suggests that long-term, intensive programs, especially those involving parents and the wider community and using interactive teaching styles, can have a lasting and worthwhile impact on later drug use. Tables, references