Reducing youth alcohol use at prom-time

A few years ago, a student at Virginia Tech compared four programs aimed at reducing youth alcohol use at proms. The four methods used by the schools with which he worked were:

1. school-wide assemblies with an anti-drug message
2. school-sponsored, drug-free after-prom parties
3. Nationwide Insurance's Prom Promise® program, and
4. the None for the Road program.

The most successful program in reducing high-risk behavior was a school-sponsored after-prom party, followed by a school-wide assembly with an anti-drug message, both of which significantly reduced the amount of high-risk behavior on prom night. Smith's research found that Prom Promise, used by 3,434 schools each year, did not have a significant impact on high-risk behavior. Students who attended None for the Road events reported being more likely to consume alcohol on prom night!