An Experimental Evaluation of a Drug Education Course

This paper describes the third and final evaluation of drug education conducted by the Napa Project. In the present course students were taught decision-making skills, personal goal setting, a motivational model, peer and media influences on behavior, assertiveness training, and information on the consequences of, and alternatives to, alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use. The evaluation employed an experimental design in which seventh grade classes in two schools were matched and then randomly assigned to experimental and control conditions. Pre-, post-, and follow-up tests covered drug knowledge; drug attitudes; perceived benefits and costs of substance use; perceived peer attitudes toward, and use of, substances; and intentions to use, current use and lifetime use of various substances. The posttest and follow-up data were analyzed using hierarchical analyses of covariance controlling for corresponding pretest scores. The course was found to have had no significant effect on girls and only a few effects at follow-up for boys.