Peer pressure can prevent substance abuse

Peer leaders can be very effective in communicating the message in substance abuse prevention programmes. Like everything else, peer pressure can have both positive and negative results. Substance use prevention programmes that use peer leaders can be effective in limiting tobacco, alcohol and drug use among teens. As compared to standard classroom prevention education, substance abuse programmes working through peer groups can be more effective in sending the message across. A peer-led interactive substance abuse prevention program can accelerate peer influences. To evaluate peer influence in substance abuse prevention programmes, researchers at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles evaluated how two substance use prevention programs, versus standard classroom prevention education, influenced the use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine among 541 students, 16 years old, on average, who were enrolled in alternative high schools in southern California. The first programme called Project Towards No Drug Abuse, focused on motivation, skills, and decision-making training that are known to reduce self-reported use of tobacco, alcohol, and hard drugs in high-risk youth. The second one - Network Towards No Drug Abuse, utilised similar training but emphasized group activities led by peer leaders chosen by the students. The results indicated that substance abuse decreased among students who nominated peers with low levels of substance use. The compilation of a year's monthly student surveys, answered prior to, during, and after the interventions, showed that the quit rate was 12.6 percent in the standard classroom prevention group and 14.3 percent in both the groups involving peer leaders. Thus, a peer environment that supports non-use can provide effective and reduced substance use.