Prevention research for alcohol and other drugs: a look ahead to what is needed

The misuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs is a problem with serious health and social consequences worldwide. The causes of this misuse are complex and multifaceted. For an examination of these complex issues we must look to a variety of risk factors, from those that are biological, to those that are psychological, social, and familial, and on to those that encompass the environment. Prevention research has shown that successful prevention interventions are those which appropriately target these factors in individuals at risk and overcome them by enhancing individuals' resiliency and providing them with protective factors. While several important and successful preventive interventions have been identified, research is needed to refine these strategies and identify how they achieve their effects, which are most appropriate for youngsters at different developmental stages, and which are most likely to sustain their effects over time.