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Research Based Prevention Outcomes

State Incentive Grants | SIG

Summary: Eighteen Washington communities that were more effective in reducing community-wide use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs among middle school youth are examined. Federal authorities funded these communities to spearhead research-based prevention efforts from 1999 to 2002. Four communities were classified as "best implementers": one urban, two rural, and one cultural community. The four best implementers demonstrated large decreases in all types of substance use (alcohol, binge drinking, marijuana, tobacco, and other drugs) among 8th grade youth in 2002 and among 10th grade youth two years later. Best implementers also achieved decreases in risk factors associated with substance use and increases in protective factors that 'prevented' such use, as expected by the "risk and protective factor" model. Community-wide outcomes of best implementers are compared to those of average and poor implementers and two groups of communities: a random sample of the rest of the state and a set of 'similar' communities derived from cluster analysis.

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