title: Why some previous drug abuse preventive programs had low effectiveness?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Considering the significant increase of drug abuse in national and international scopes, and the priority of the preventive programs (due to savings in cost and energy), this study aims to investigate the efficiency of drug abuse preventive programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is an analytical-descriptive study, conducted in Iran on a sample of 600 individuals composed of academicians, experts, specialists, and officials. Verbal, individual interviews were performed based on a semi-structured interview-guide, and the resulted data was coded, categorized, and reported.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The causes of lower effectiveness of previous preventive programs were as following: a) the features of preventive programs (37.7%): unsustainability, not matching the target group's characteristics, Lack of targeted programs, etc., b) sociocultural issues (19.79%): families, and society's unawareness, adverse social factors, etc.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The drug abuse preventive programs are of significant importance. However, their efficiency and effectiveness are subjected to special requirements and considerations that if not met, results will not be achieved.
authors.affiliation: Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Rahele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Samouei
authors.forename: Ayatollah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sohrabi
authors.forename: Mohammad Hosein
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Yarmohammadian
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome