An on-line school-based substance use harm reduction programme: The Illicit Project randomized controlled trial...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Public Health
• Adolescent Health

Background:

• Adolescent substance use poses significant health risks.
• Effective harm reduction strategies are crucial for this demographic.
• Neuroscience-based interventions offer a novel approach to substance use education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the 12-month effectiveness of The Illicit Project, an online, neuroscience-based harm reduction intervention.
• To measure the intervention's impact on substance use, related harms, and knowledge among secondary school students.
• To compare the intervention group with an active control group receiving usual school-based health education.

Main Methods:

• A two-arm cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted in eight secondary schools in New South Wales, Australia.
• 950 students (grades 10-12) participated, with 681 in the intervention group and 269 in the control group.
• Self-report questionnaires assessed substance use (alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, MDMA, cocaine, prescription drugs), harms, and drug literacy at baseline and 6- and 12-month follow-ups.

Main Results:

• The intervention group showed slower annual increases in binge drinking, MDMA, cocaine, and prescription drug misuse compared to the control group.
• Significant improvements were observed in drug literacy knowledge and harm reduction help-seeking skills in the intervention group.
• Limited evidence of intervention effect was found for cannabis use and alcohol-related harm.

Conclusions:

• The online, neuroscience-based Illicit Project intervention was effective in reducing risky substance use among Australian secondary students.
• The intervention significantly improved drug literacy and harm reduction skills compared to usual health education.
• This study highlights the potential of online, neuroscience-informed programs for adolescent substance harm reduction.