Executive Summary

Kentucky youth 13 through 18 years old who had first or second time substance abuse-related charges and screened appropriate for an educational intervention program received Prime For Life as a major component of the Early Intervention Program (EIP). Spalding University collected data from 1997 through 2000 and issued an interim report in 2000 and a final report in 2002. Reductions in drinking, marijuana use, and smoking cigarettes were found. The chart to the left (from the 2002 final report) shows the reduction in marijuana use. While these results are very positive, it is important to note that only about 18% of the youth had fully matchable surveys at the six-month follow-up.

Additional analyses of the EIP data were conducted by Prevention Research Institute in 2002. Among the key findings were increases in perception of risk of heavy drinking and marijuana use, and at the conclusion of the PFL program 48% of the youth indicated the intention to never make high-risk drinking choices in the future, 31% to rarely make high-risk drinking choices, 58% to never use drugs, and 36% to decrease their drug use.