THE IRRELEVANCE OF EVIDENCE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL-BASED DRUG PREVENTION POLICY, 1986-1996

This article examines developments in school-based drug prevention pol icy and programming since the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986. Using data from national surveys and evaluations of school-based programs it argu es, first, that there was really no need for a massive infusion of mon ey into school-based drug prevention in the late 1980s, and second, th at there was little or no evidence to indicate that a ''new generation '' of effective programs, based on the so-called social influence mode l, was emerging at this time. Despite the infusion of resources into s chool-based prevention efforts, adolescent drug use has risen in recen t yeats. Moreover evaluations continue to show that the effectiveness of social influence programs is very much in the eye of the beholder F undamental questions need to be asked of school-based drug-prevention- just as they should be asked of other key components of our current dr ug control policy.