The effectiveness of a school-based substance abuse prevention program: EU-Dap cluster randomised controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of the school-based drug abuse prevention program developed in the EU-Dap study (EUropean Drug Abuse Prevention trial) in preventing the use of tobacco, alcohol and drugs at the post-test.


METHODS
Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial. Seven European countries participated in the study; 170 schools (7079 pupils 12-14 years of age) were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions or to a control condition during the school year 2004/2005. A pre-test survey assessing past and current substance use was conducted before the implementation of the program. The program consisted in 12-hour class-based curriculum based on a comprehensive social-influence approach. A post-test survey was carried out in all participating schools, 3 months after the end of the program. The association between program condition and change in substance use at post-test was expressed as adjusted Prevalence Odds Ratio (POR), estimated by multilevel regression model.


RESULTS
Program effects were found for daily cigarette smoking (POR=0.70; 0.52-0.94) and episodes of drunkenness in the past 30 days (POR=0.72; 0.58-0.90 for at least one episode, POR=0.69; 0.48-0.99 for three or more episodes), while effects on Cannabis use in the past 30 days were of marginal statistical significance (POR=0.77; 0.60-1.00). The curriculum was successful in preventing baseline non-smokers or sporadic smokers from moving onto daily smoking, but it was not effective in helping baseline daily smokers to reduce or stop smoking.


CONCLUSIONS
School curricula based on a comprehensive social-influence model may delay progression to daily smoking and episodes of drunkenness.
Faggiano
Fabrizio
F
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine-Avogadro University, Novara, Italy. fabrizio.faggiano@med.unipmn.it
Galanti
Maria Rosaria
MR
Bohrn
Karl
K
Burkhart
Gregor
G
Vigna-Taglianti
Federica
F
Cuomo
Luca
L
Fabiani
Leila
L
Panella
Massimiliano
M
Perez
Tatiana
T
Siliquini
Roberta
R
van der Kreeft
Peer
P
Vassara
Maro
M
Wiborg
Gudrun
G
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003479:Curriculum; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012574:Schools; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*