Preventing Adolescent Drug Use: The Development, Design and Implementation of the First Year of "NE Choices"

• NCJ Number: 189075
• Journal: Drugs: Education, Prevention, and Policy Volume: 8 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2001 Pages: 151-175
• Author(s): Martine Stead; Anne Marie Mackintosh; Douglas Eadie; Gerard Hastings
• Editor(s): Betsy Thom
• Date Published: May 2001
• Length: 25 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

This paper described the development, design, and delivery of the Home Office Drugs Prevention Initiative (DPI) and the first year of NE Choices (Year Nine Intervention) considered one of the largest interventions in the program.

Abstract

In response to the problem of illicit drug use by adolescents, the United Kingdom Government established the Home Office Drugs Prevention Initiative (DPI), a nationwide program of interventions combining central guidance and local initiatives designed to establish best practice in the field. NE Choices was developed and implemented as one of the largest interventions in the program. It is a 3-year multi-component social influences intervention targeting 13- to 16-year-old school children from school year nine (age 13-14) to school year eleven (age 15-16) in the northeast of England. A 3-year development and pilot phase was followed by full implementation in January 1997 through April 1999. NE Choices was grounded in social cognitive theory. This assumed that behavior was equally determined by the interplay between personal factors and environmental factors. Data indicated that a third of the NE Choices targeted population had taken drugs before the start of the program. The core of the intervention was a drama workshop. An impact evaluation found that intending drug users responded slightly less positively than intending non-users to many aspects of the drama workshop. Evidence also suggested that intending drug users were sometimes more positive than non-users. Several recommendations were made in the design and delivery of the next two intervention phases (Year Ten and Year Eleven) that included: (1) drama should continue to be used as a program medium; (2) information products and media activity should continue to form part of the program; (3) classroom follow up work should be more intensive and better supported; (4) parents would continue to be supported; (5) the program would move into other settings; and (6) high risk groups would be targeted. Overall, the outcome, process and impact evaluation of the NE Choices Year Nine intervention provided encouraging results and the potential to influence drug-taking behavior. Tables and references