Early Years

• Evaluation findings from 1982-1984 indicate that teachers who participate in Prevention Dimensions training significantly increase their knowledge of the effects of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs and show an increased willingness to use the curriculum in their classrooms.

• Student outcomes from Prevention Dimensions evaluations from 1982-1985 show significant increases in knowledge of the effects of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana as well as improvements in individual decision-making skills.

• Student impacts from Prevention Dimensions evaluations from 1987-1988 show significant reductions in the rate of initiation of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use as well as a slight decrease in monthly alcohol use.

Conclusion: The teacher training and curriculum components of Prevention Dimensions empower teachers to more effectively deliver substance abuse prevention in the classroom, resulting in significant delays in the onset of substance use for a substantial percentage of junior high school students. The over all impact, based on the cumulative effects of curriculum exposure, is quite promising.

Recent Findings

• Teacher evaluations from those participating in locally conducted Prevention Dimensions teacher inservice trainings continue to show significant increases in teacher knowledge of the effects of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. Teacher knowledge of effective prevention skill and teaching has also increased. Trained teachers maintain a willingness to use Prevention Dimensions in their classroom.

• Students impacts from Prevention Dimensions evaluations (2000) show significant reductions in risk factors for substance abuse among high-risk students compared to high-risk students not receiving Prevention Dimensions. Further, students who receive Prevention Dimensions instruction score higher on knowledge of resistance skills and other personal problem-solving skills (life skills) than those who do not participate in Prevention Dimensions.

Conclusion: Prevention Dimensions continues to effectively fill its role as Utah's core substance abuse prevention curriculum.

Current Status

• Prevention Dimensions received an exemplary award and "promising program" status in 2002 from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services "National Registry for Effective Prevention Programs (NREPP)". A research-based study is planned for implementation in the 2003-2004 school year to measure the effectiveness of regional-based teacher trainings and in the impact of the new curriculum on students in grades K-6.