DRUG-ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAMMING - DO WE KNOW WHAT CONTENT WORKS

This article summarizes the theoretical underpinnings, substantive con tents and limitations of comprehensive social-influences-based drug ab use prevention programming. This type of programming has produced the most consistently successful preventive effects. There is some evidenc e that one major parr of these programs changing social norms, is an e ssential ingredient for successful drug abuse prevention programming. Research suggests that these effects may not be contingent on the use of refusal assertion training, a prototype activity of social-influenc es-based prevention programs. Because programs when disseminated to th e public, often contain only a subset of lessons from the social influ ences curriculum there remains the potential error of implementing a c ombination of lessons that may not be effective. Further there is evid ence that other types of prevention programming such as physical conse quences programming, may be successful in some situations Finally soci al-influences-based programming may not be as effective with some subp opulations such as high-risk youths.