PROJECT NORTHLAND - OUTCOMES OF A COMMUNITY-WIDE ALCOHOL-USE PREVENTION PROGRAM DURING EARLY ADOLESCENCE

Objectives. Project Northland is an efficacy trial with the goal of pr eventing or reducing alcohol use among young adolescents by using a mu ltilevel, communitywide approach. Methods. Conducted in 24 school dist ricts and adjacent communities in northeastern Minnesota since 1991, t he intervention targets the class of 1998 (sixth-grade students in 199 1) and has been implemented for 3 school years (1991 to 1994). The int ervention consists of social-behavioral curricula in schools, peer lea dership, parental involvement/education, and communitywide task force activities. Annual surveys of the class of 1998 measure alcohol use. t obacco use, and psychosocial factors. Results. At the end of 3 years, students in the intervention school districts report less onset and pr evalence of alcohol use than students in the reference districts. The differences were particularly notable among those who were nonusers at baseline. Conclusions. The results of Project Northland suggest that multi-level, targeted prevention programs for young adolescents are ef fective in reducing alcohol use.