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Evaluation Techniques in Substance Abuse Prevention Programs

Substance abuse prevention programs teach participants about the risks and dangers of using drugs and alcohol. Many prevention programs have educators and counselors working to assess and evaluate the participants in order to identify who should be referred for further treatment. Evaluation techniques are used by program educators and counselors to figure out each participant's current level of drug use as well as risk factors for addiction.

  1. Family History

    • The family history of each participant in the substance abuse prevention program is examined. Drug and alcohol addictions are essentially diseases that are genetic. If a person has a parent that had problems with substance abuse (such as alcoholism), then that individual is more likely to develop alcoholism, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Scientists agree that a genetic component is involved with most addictions and may be linked to a person's progression from experimenting with alcohol and drugs to full-fledged addiction. According to a study published in the international journal, "Addiction," in 2007 Cardiff University researchers evaluated substance abuse habits of over 1,200 pairs of preteen and teenage identical and nonidentical twins. This research found that genetics was the most important factor involved in the progression from experimenting with tobacco and marijuana to going toward heavy use.

    Lifestyle

    • An evaluation of a person's lifestyle is taken during a substance abuse prevention program. A questionnaire is administered regarding whether the individual keeps friends who are drug users and abusers, the type of work or school environment that a person is in, as well as attitudes concerning drug use. The self-report tool should also include questions on a person's current substance use, whether he uses any gateway drugs (such as tobacco) and the frequency of use. All of these environmental and life factors play into whether an individual is at risk for developing a substance abuse problem.

    Knowledge

    • During a substance abuse prevention program, a participant is tested on his current knowledge level about drugs and alcohol. Tools such as paper-and-pencil tests, oral conversations and fill-in-the-blank presentations can be used to accomplish this evaluation. Questions about street names of different drugs, the physiological effects of drugs and alcohol and the short- and long-term risks of substance abuse should be included. A person's firsthand knowledge regarding abuse risks may be evidenced during these exercises and may help the evaluator to identify those who are already using and abusing drugs and alcohol. A participant who has little knowledge may be at greater risk for developing substance abuse problems.

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