Initiative Description: Systematic approach to reviewing substance use prevention programs introduced in elementary school (K-6th grade). Thirty published evaluation studies of 24 elementary school-based substance use prevention programs were reviewed.

Study Results: Among 27 evaluation studies that examined program effects on substance use, 56% (n = 15) found significant decreases. In addition, programs most often demonstrated effects on increasing negative substance use attitudes, increasing knowledge, decreasing perceptions of prevalence rates (i.e., descriptive norms), and improving resistance skills.

Reference: Hopfer, S., Shin, Y., Davis, D., Elek, E., Kam, J. A., & Hecht, M. L. (2010). A review of elementary school-based substance use prevention programs: Identifying program attributes. Journal of Drug Education, 40(1), 11–36. https://doi.org/10.2190/DE.40.1.b

Level of Evidence: Very Good