Survival against drugs: education for school-age children.

Problem: Alcohol and drug use of young school-age children continue to escalate. Comprehensive, effective interventions are needed to treat and prevent future alcohol and drug use.

Methods: The alcohol and drug use of 69 school-age children participating in afterschool programs was explored; parents completed a family climate scale. An investigator-developed educational program was evaluated for its effect on self-efficacy of the children to prevent drug and alcohol use.

Findings: Although family climate scales indicated functioning families, 25% of the children indicated they have used drugs or alcohol and 49% indicated a possible problem with alcohol or drugs being used at home by parents. A significant correlation with a child's self-efficacy and drug use was found.

Conclusions: The educational program taught children survival skills to resist the use of alcohol and drugs. Children with a plan to resist the use of drugs were more likely not to use drugs.