Study Finds Drug Education Can Be Effective

Since 1975 the University of Michigan has been conducting survey to measure drug, alcohol, and cigarette use and related attitudes among adolescent students nationwide. Survey participants report their drug use behaviors across three time periods: lifetime, past year, and past month. Study findings are released each Fall.

Overall, 41,551 students from 377 public and private schools participated in the most recent Monitoring the Future survey.

Correct Drug Education Can Be Effective

One of the more important finding of the survey, which has held constant for many years, has been to identify two critical risk factors correlated with drug abuse in youth:

  1. Perception of personal risk
  2. Perception of social disapproval

This means that properly designed drug education and prevention programs, such as the Drug-Free World The Truth About Drugs program, can contribute to a reduction in drug abuse by youth.

To download a PDF of this study click here.