Elsevier Science Ltd

Summary--Follow-up data (mean 9 months) were obtained for 74 subjects who had been treated for a mean of 8 months and 17 sessions in a controlled comparison of Behavioral vs Supportive Counselling for drug abuse. Based on urinalysis, self-report, and family report, all subjects (100%) were actively using drugs at pre-treatment. During the last month of treatment, 81 % of the Supportive treatment subjects and 44 % of the Behavioral treatment subjects were using drugs at least once. At the follow-up month, drugs were used at least once by 71 % of the Supportive vs 42 % of Behavioral subjects. When drug use was measured in terms of the number of days of use per month, Supportive counselled sub-jects did not decrease drug use either by the end of treatment or at follow-up; for Behavioral subjects, drug use decreased by 63 % by the end of treatment and by 73 % at follow-up. Alcohol use, and days worked/or in school showed a similar pattern of greater improvement for the Behavioral treatment being maintained at the follow-up. These results indicate a substantial treatment-specific reduction of drug usage that endures after treatment is discontinued. The present favorable results appear attribu-table to the inclusion of family/significant others in therapy and the use of reinforcement contingent on urinalysis results