Citation

Vanderwaal CJ, Powell LM, Terry-McElrath YM, Bao Y, Flay BR. J. Prim. Prev. 2005; 26(4): 299-320.

Affiliation

Institute for Prevention of Addictions, Andrews University, U.S.A..

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10935-005-5390-6

PMID

15995801

Abstract

This study used key informant interviews and student survey data in 508 U.S. communities to examine relationships between the prevalence of community and non-classroom-based school substance prevention strategies and teen substance use rates. After controlling for covariates, analyses indicated that: (1) adult-supervised after-school activities were significantly related to lower past 30-day cigarette smoking and both past 30-day alcohol use and binge drinking; (2) unsupervised after-school recreational facilities were significantly associated with both lower past 30-day cigarette smoking and current daily smoking; (3) community activities to reduce substance use were significantly related to lower binge drinking; and (4) student organizations to prevent alcohol abuse were significantly related to lower binge drinking. Communities need a broad spectrum of strategies to address variation in substance use among youth.Editors' Strategic Implications: Policymakers at the school, community, state, and federal levels will benefit from knowing that after-school activities for teens typically result in reliable (though often modest) reductions in substance use in this large national sample. This is a strategy that works, but the effects are likely to vary by setting, level of supervision, substance, and program implementation.