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How do we know whether a primary prevention program on drug abuse works or does not work?
The International Journal of the Addictions
|February 1, 1981
Summary
The Ombudsman program effectively prevents hard drug use in students, particularly younger ones. It shows no significant impact on social drug experimentation.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Substance Abuse Prevention
- Adolescent Psychology
Background:
- Primary drug abuse prevention targets curiosity-driven experimentation to prevent regular use.
- The Ombudsman program was developed as a model intervention for this purpose.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the Ombudsman program in preventing drug abuse among students.
- To test the hypothesis that Ombudsman participation reduces ongoing drug use.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study evaluating the Ombudsman program's impact on student drug use.
- Analysis focused on differentiating between 'hard' and 'social' drug categories.
- Subgroup analysis examined program effectiveness based on student age.
Main Results:
- The Ombudsman program demonstrated significant effectiveness in reducing 'hard' drug use (p < .001).
- No statistically significant impact was observed for 'social' drug use.
- Program effectiveness was notably higher among younger student participants (p < .01).
Conclusions:
- The Ombudsman program is a promising strategy for primary prevention of 'hard' drug abuse in adolescents.
- Targeted interventions may be necessary to address 'social' drug use among students.
- Age appears to be a critical factor in the success of drug abuse prevention programs.