NCJ Number
186030
Date Published
2000
Length
80 pages
Annotation
This report presents an analysis of the first year results of a 3-year multi-component drug prevention program that focused on youth in northeast England and was managed by the Great Britain Home Office Drugs Prevention Initiative.
Abstract
The program’s name was NE Choices. The program combined drama, work with parents, classroom activity, youth activities, media and information, and community activities. The target population consisted of youths ages 13-16 years. The Year 9 intervention took place in 1996-97 when the target group was aged 13-14. NE Choices rested on the social influences approach to drug prevention and also used social marketing principles and techniques to ensure the program’s acceptability to all target groups, delivery agents, and intervention partners. The outcome evaluation used a longitudinal quasi-experimental study to examine the attainment of behavioral outcomes in youth from six intervention and four control schools. The process evaluation assessed the program’s implement. The impact evaluation monitored the primary target group’s response in terms of varied measures. Formative research informed the design and delivery of intervention components. A baseline survey revealed that almost half the students in both intervention and control schools had experienced exposure to a drug offer situation and one-third had already tried drugs prior to the Year 9 intervention. Results of the analysis of the first year revealed that the main components in the Year 9 intervention were delivered as planned and attained a high reach, although follow-up was uneven for some program components. The drama workshop experienced a highly positive response. Attendance at the parents’ session was less, but the session and the NE Choices magazine appeared to have encouraged parent-child communication on drug-related issues. Behavioral impacts are not yet known. Tables, figures, and 99 references