Prevention WINS uses tested and effective programs to prevent teen marijuana use

What programs are most effective for preventing teen marijuana use?  That question is being studied by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) which recently released an updated review of scientific evidence about prevention programs.  They reviewed 23 youth marijuana prevention and treatment programs  and categorized them as "evidence-based", "research-based", or "promising."  (Definitions appear at the end of this post.)

School-based Programs
For the Prevention WINS coalition, the report brings good news: Life Skills Training, the program implemented at Eckstein Middle School since 2007, is identified as one of two top-tier evidence-based prevention programs.

Parenting Programs
The two parenting programs implemented through Eckstein, Guiding Good Choices and the Strengthening Families Program, are considered research-based for preventing teen marijuana use.

Community Programs 
Communities That Care is the other evidence-based prevention program identified by WSIPP.  Similar to the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) that Prevention WINS uses, Communities That Care guides communities to identify local risk factors and implement tested and effective programs to address them.

Using the SPF, Prevention WINS this year, for the first time, identified "community laws and norms favorable to drug use" as NE Seattle's primary teen marijuana use risk factor.  The "laws and norms" risk factor is determined by how easy it is for teenagers to access a drug; if they think they will be caught by police if they use a drug; and what they think others in the community think of kids using the drug.

To address community laws and norms favorable to marijuana use, the Prevention WINS coalition will continue to advocate for policies that reduce youth access to marijuana and for the adoption and enforcement of laws regarding minors and marijuana. These types of policies will support the messages that children and families hear when participating in school-based and parenting programs.

Summary of definitions: For complete definitions, see page 4 of the report)

Evidence-based: A program that has been tested multiple times and the weight of the evidence from a systematic review demonstrates sustained improvement in at least one outcome.  It also means a program that can be implemented with a set of procedures to allow successful replication and is determined to be cost-effective.

Research-based: A program that has been tested once and demonstrates sustained desirable outcomes but does not meet the full requirements of evidence-based.

Promising: A practice that shows potential for meeting the evidence-based or research-based criteria based on statistical analysis or a well-established theory of change.

"Just say no" is old news

Recently, Colorado launched a media campaign with the goal of preventing teen marijuana use.  Called "Don't be a lab rat", the campaign seems to take a similar tact as the anti-tobacco "truth" campaign.  Response to the campaign seems to be mixed with some people comparing it to the ineffective "This is your brain on drugs" campaign from the 1980's.

Prevention science has evolved quite a bit over the past thirty years and we know that scare tactics about health impacts don't work for preventing teen drug use.  We also know what does work and most are programs and policies implemented at the community level.     

Programs that work

Programs are usually activities, including school-based curricula, in which children and/or their parents participate that provide education and support for preventing teen drug use. The National Registry of Evidence Based Programs and Practices is an online database that provides an extensive list of programs that are proven to be effective.

In NE Seattle, Eckstein Middle School provides three programs proven to prevent teen drug use: 

• Life Skills Training, 
• Guiding Good Choices, 
• Strengthening Families.  

Seattle Public Schools recently was awarded a grant to implement Project Alert in middle schools. 

If you take a look at them you will notice that the programs mostly teach social-emotional skills and parenting skills.  They provide basic information about drugs but as a science teacher I worked with once noted, the curricula don't necessarily fit into a science class.  They are filled with information about how to deal with social and emotional situations that may increase a teenager's likelihood for trying drugs.  They are filled with information to help parents support healthy decision-making among their children.  That's what works.

Community-based activities that work

Communities have a role to play in preventing teen drug use, too.  Policies that reduce availability, increase prices, and support the enforcement of laws are proven to reduce youth alcohol and tobacco use.  Community laws and norms that support healthy adolescent development amplify the messages that teens receive from programs and from their parents.

Examples of community-based prevention activities conducted by Prevention WINS include:

• A media awareness and advocacy campaign focusing on underage drinking parties in parks.  A video appearing on the coalition homepage is part of the awareness campaign.
• An advocacy campaign for the adoption of a secure medicine return program by the King County Board of Health.  
• Letters to the Liquor Control Board about alcohol and marijuana regulations.  Most recently, Prevention WINS provided prevention-related advice regarding marijuana regulations.  In the past, the coalition advocated for restrictions on alcohol advertising and the removal of a liquor license from a NE Seattle convenience store selling beer to minors.  

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't write: community-based coalitions work.  Prevention WINS is such a coalition.  When individuals and organizations come together to identify risk factors specific to their community and implement programs and policies that address those risk factors, teen drug use rates drop.  In 2011, Prevention WINS celebrated a drop in NE Seattle underage drinking rates.



Despite what is prolifically reported through media, prevention efforts have not used scare tactics to prevent youth drug use for many years.  Instead, parents have been encouraged to talk with their children about avoiding drugs and making healthy decisions.  Middle school students have learned how to deal with social situations and emotions that may put them at risk for trying drugs.  Communities have been encouraged to adopt policies that prevent teen access to drugs and support healthy youth development.

Improving school performance by improving mental health

The Spring 2012 edition of Better: Evidence-Based Education focuses on healthy bodies and healthy minds.  The topic for this edition was chosen because "physical and mental health can make a difference to student test scores . . . A host of simple evidence-based changes to the way we parent and school our children can boost their physical and mental health, which in turn will help them to learn."

Several of the articles discuss preventing youth substance abuse, a risk factor for school failure.  This edition of Better features Life Skills Training, an evidence-based curriculum that is taught at Eckstein Middle School (part of the Prevention WINS coalition); includes an article entitled, "Addressing school effects on drug use"; and provides information (from the University of Washington's Social Development Research Group) about how parents can help prevent problem behaviors.

Strong coalitions support evidence-based prevention programs

Strong coalitions help communities implement evidence-based prevention programs, according to the results from a study conducted at Pennsylvania State University. Researchers found that the following coalition traits were significant when it comes to supporting local evidence-based programs:

• perceived strength of coalition leadership;
• task-oriented coalitions;
• positive relationships among members, staff, and community organizations.

Other factors included adhering to the CTC (Communities That Care -- similar to the SPF -- Strategic Prevention Framework used by Prevention WINS) process with ongoing technical assistance and funding for coalition staff, resources, and materials.