For those who have never had a drug problem, it is often hard to understand why it becomes a deadly habit. Teens that engage in this risky behavior are more likely to suffer long-term consequences, but new research highlights the positive impact of drug education programs. According to a recent report in Science Daily, a school-based drug education program for teens – Project ALERT – can have a long-term positive impact on sexual behavior. This benefit is in addition to the program’s ability to curb substance abuse. Researchers of a new RAND Corporation study found that those youth who were exposed to this drug abuse education program were significantly less likely to either engage in sex with multiple partners or to have unprotected sex due to being under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Phyllis Ellickson, lead author of the study and a researcher at RAND, a nonprofit research organization, noted that the lessons learned by these young people about how to avoid drug and alcohol abuse also appears to have a positive impact on their sexual behavior. While this research showed there was a reduction in risky behavior among teens, it did not seem to have an impact on the use of safe sex methods. Those teens who had received the drug prevention training were no more likely to use condoms than their peers who had not received the training. Ellickson pointed to the benefits that programs such as Project ALERT deliver beyond drug use prevention. The fact that these benefits continued for many years beyond exposure to the programs highlights their effectiveness. Ellickson said in Science Daily, “The findings support the case for the cost-effectiveness of the basic Project ALERT program by showing it provides benefits for two different types of risky behaviors and by showing that those benefits are long lasting.” Category: News and ResearchMay 1, 2009Post navigationPreviousPrevious post:Were Your Parents Impulsive? It Might Increase Your Risk of AlcoholismNextNext post:Database Technology Ineffective in War on Prescription Drug AbuseRelated postsWhat is a Case Manager?October 12, 2020Coping With Anxiety During COVID-19June 30, 2020Recognizing Signs of Mental Illness in Your ChildJune 25, 2020Finding Ways Of Coping With Isolation During CoronavirusJune 10, 2020Depression Treatment Beyond Drugs: 10 Things It Can’t Hurt to TryJune 8, 20205 Questions About Alcohol Detox AnsweredJune 8, 2020