Relative effectiveness of comprehensive community programming for drug abuse prevention with high-risk and low-risk adolescents

This article reviews major risk factors for cigarette smoking, alcohol, and other drug abuse and promising community-based approaches to primary prevention. In a longitudinal experimental study, 8 representative Kansas City communities were assigned randomly to program (school, parent, mass media, and community organization) and control (mass media and community organi-zation only) conditions. Programs were delivered at either 6th or 7th grade, and panels were fol-lowed through Grade 9 or 10. The primary findings were (a) significant reductions at 3 years in tobacco and marijuana use and (b) equivalent reductions for youth at different levels of risk. This study provides evidence that a comprehensive community program-based approach can prevent the onset of substance abuse and that the benefits are experienced equally by youth at high and low risk. Nearly 60 % of all high school seniors have experimented with illicit drugs. Recent national surveys indicate that marijuana, crack, and cocaine use have declined since 1987, perhaps as a result of increased awareness of the social and health risks asso-ciated with these drugs (Johnston, 1989; Johnston, O'Malley, &amp