Prospects for Preventing Drug Use Among Young Adolescents

Prevention programs can play a key role in the nation's anti-drug campaign. That is the conclusion of Project ALERT (Adolescent Learning Experiences in Resistance Training), a program to prevent or reduce the use of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana by adolescents. Project Alert also demonstrated what such programs can and cannot be expected to accomplish and dispelled some common misconceptions about them. Designed for 7th and 8th graders, Project Alert specifically targets alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana because these are "gateway" drugs, that is, drugs that are used first and most widely by young people. These drugs pose risks to their health, development and safety, and leads to using cocaine, crack, and other hard drugs.