Developmentally tailored school-based interventions for substance use disorders: A narrative review

School-based prevention programs among adolescents tackle the umbrella of substance use behavior from initiation to dependence. Age-appropriate interventions give us an overview about what works in each stage of development. A substantial population of adolescents in India are engaging into substance use behavior that in turn will lead to delayed brain development and lead to engaging in multiple risk behavior.

This review aims to discuss the developmental considerations and evidence for school-based substance use prevention intervention across different age groups of adolescent periods.

An extensive search was employed to look for the major substance use prevention programs adapted in school settings across primary, middle, and high school adolescents.

Literature on prevention programs are mostly from developed countries across different age groups, while developing countries like India mention limited prevention programs initiated by the Ministry and Government of India (GoI). Indian initiatives such as "I Decide-I Will Not Take Drugs," Project mobilizing youth for tobacco-related initiatives (MYTRI), and NAVCHETNA showed significant shortterm gains in knowledge, attitudes, and intentions regarding tobacco and other substances, though evidence for long term effectiveness remains limited.

Developmentally appropriate school-based programs are crucial for prevention of substance use among adolescents. Global evidence highlights the effectiveness of several age-appropriate prevention interventions, while literature on Indian programs remains limited. Although, the GoI has taken various initiatives in addressing drug use among adolescents by incorporating school-based prevention intervention. However, there lies a critical need for developmentally tailored programs to prevent onset of substance use among adolescents.