ALCOHOL-PROBLEM PREVENTION RESEARCH POLICY - THE NEED FOR A PHASES RESEARCH MODEL

This paper describes the need and rationale for developing a phases mo del for guiding alcohol-problem prevention research. A phased approach to prevention research is consistent with such models developed for o ther health areas including heart disease, cancer, and drug testing. S uch a model in alcohol prevention research can provide a means for (I) locating how far research has progressed along a continuum from basic or pre-intervention research to full implementation of preventive act ion, (2) identifying gaps in research, and (3) determining the level o f empirical proof which exists for one or more prevention strategies p rior to widespread dissemination.