Where Is The Gunpowder In Poptropica

The effectiveness of school programs to prevent drug use EARA XII Conference

Q uedaron back the days when it was enough to do something in schools to prevent drug use and be satisfied, assuming that such an intervention would necessarily entail a reduction in consumption. Now is the time to be more demanding and carry out an assessment of the effectiveness of interventions. Otherwise we might be keeping programs that cost money, and that not only reduce consumption but may even contribute to increase ( see here).

Under an agreement with the Ministry of Welfare and Social Equality of Andalusia have carried out a study on the empirical evidence available internationally on the preventive efficacy of the programs carried out in centers education. The study involved a systematic review of published meta-analysis. We reviewed 1622 abstracts, or abstracts to arrive at a selection of 17 scientific publications that met the required criteria.

rigorous analysis of these 17 meta-analysis allowed us to select the 29 features that must be present in the effective prevention of drug addiction in the school. It also made possible the development of a performance index of each feature from both the number of studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of this as the number who have not succeeded in demonstrating.

Here are some of the features that should satisfy those programs that aim to prevent substance abuse, ranked according to their rate of effectiveness:

1. Education and training in life skills. Refers personal skills such as negotiation strategies, improving self-esteem and self-efficacy, decision making, self, coping strategies, etc.


2. Community involvement in the prevention program.


3. Existence of a rigorous quality assessment. Intensity


4. program implementation or total hours to carry out the program.


5. Transmission of information combined with other strategies of intervention, since the mere information appears ineffective.


6. Existence of a theoretical rationale that supports the intervention.


7. equal participation of mediators, although it is unclear whether this involvement should be jointly involving adults.


8. Methodology from an interactive teaching style oriented learning based on real problems.


9. Implementation that conforms faithfully to the design or initial program planning.


10. Specific training in drug prevention for those responsible for implementing the program.


11. families Participation of students in the prevention program.


12. Building positive relationships with peers, teachers or community members.


13. Existence of booster sessions or follow-up once the application program.
    

And up to 29 characteristics that relate to the effectiveness of the program to prevent substance use. Interventions that include a greater number of them will be more effective and should be promoted, otherwise it may be better to devote resources to something else.

Of the programs that are implemented in our country and we have analyzed in this study, there are some that included many of the above characteristics, as Órdago, Puzzles, or Prevent Among All Living.

More information:
Ramos, P., Oliva, A., Moreno, MC Lorence, B., Jimenez, AM, Jimenez L. Hidalgo, MV and Antolin, L. (2010). School programs to prevent substance use .. Analysis of the keys to determine their effectiveness. Sevilla, Ministry of Welfare and Equality ( download here)