Drug prevention with high risk families and young children

The effects of a school and home-based drug prevention program on risk fact ors for subsequent alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use among childr en were studied. Data on parent and child risk factors for ATOD use were co llected from fifty-six low-income parents and their children, ages four to six years, using a pretest-posttest design. The parent-child intervention w as conducted over a two-month period. The intervention had no effect on par ent or child risk factors. However, the program was favorably received by p arents and children. Almost two-thirds of the parents at the experimental s chool were involved in the program. Almost half of the parents had high dep ressive symptoms. The high rates of ATOD use and depressive symptoms among these parents are cause for concern.