New Hybrid eLearning Program for High School Students Cuts Tobacco and Alcohol Use in Half

, /PRNewswire/ -- A new approach to preventing teen substance use produced dramatic reductions in tobacco and alcohol misuse among high school students. Results of a study just published in Psychology of Addictive Behavior, a scientific journal of the American Psychological Association, showed that teen tobacco and alcohol use can be cut in half using a newly developed version of the Botvin Life Skills Training (LST) program that combines immersive, media-rich e-learning modules and in-class skills training sessions. Students who received this new program also were found to have developed significantly greater skills for resisting social pressure to engage in substance use, communication skills, media resistance skills, and anxiety management skills compared to students who did not receive the program. These findings have important public health significance because they show that combining e-learning technology with teacher-led class sessions not only reduces substance use. It also frees up precious class time and removes a major barrier to widespread dissemination.  

This innovative prevention program is an adapted version of LST that is designed to provide high school students with the knowledge and skills needed to promote health, wellness, and resilience. LST has been extensively tested and proven effective through research funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in over 30 peer-reviewed scientific papers. 

The current study included 1,235 students and 19 high schools across the United States. Schools were randomly assigned to receive the e-learning program and class sessions or serve as "treatment-as-usual" control. This study is the first to prove the effectiveness of the new hybrid format of LST for high school students. It also provides evidence that self-paced e-learning modules when paired with teacher-led class sessions reduce teenage tobacco use by 59%, alcohol use by 44%, and drunkenness by 50%. 

"These are very exciting findings," said Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin, professor emeritus at Cornell University's Weill Medical College and developer of the LST program. "As access to new technology becomes more available, it is important that we utilize it to meet the health needs of schools, families, and communities."

The new hybrid digital version of the LST High School program was developed by National Health Promotion Associates, Inc. (NHPA) and tested by a team of researchers led by Dr. Chris Williams, adjunct associate professor of psychology at State University of New York at Purchase College, and Dr. Kenneth Griffin, a professor of global and community health at George Mason University. 

About Botvin LifeSkills Training

Botvin LifeSkills Training (LST) is a highly acclaimed, evidence-based drug abuse and violence prevention program that has been taught in more than 35 countries throughout the world. LST has been extensively tested and proven to reduce tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use as much as 80%. Long-term follow-studies show that it produces prevention effects that are durable and long-lasting. Visit www.lifeskillstraining.com for more information. 

SOURCE Botvin LifeSkills Training