title: The PALS prevention program and its long-term impact on student intentions to use alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana.
abstract: A unique Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug (ATOD) prevention program called PALS (Prevention through Alternative Learning Styles) was implemented with middle school students with the goal of enhancing student knowledge of the harmful effects of ATOD, promoting the use of refusal skills and reducing intentions to use ATOD in the future. Intentions to use were measured at four points: pre-PALS, post-PALS, and at 1-year and 2-year follow-ups. Student survey responses were then matched and compared across the four time periods. This article reports on the long-term effectiveness of PALS on student intentions to use ATOD in high school. When follow-up surveys of PALS students were compared to students not exposed to PALS (comparison group), the PALS students had significantly lower intentions to use alcohol and tobacco, providing evidence that the PALS intervention did have a long-term impact on intentions to use these substances.
authors.forename: Judson W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Workman
authors.forename: Mary J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: Jo Ann
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Josephine F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kinzeler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires