Schools have been in the business of drug education for over one hundred years. But it was not until the mid 1970s that research began to show which approaches worked --- and which did not --- to prevent problems with tobacco, alcohol or other drugs. One of the strategies that has been closely evaluated is the information model.

Prevention research has been clearly established that programs which depend solely on providing information about health, social and legal risks of tobacco, alcohol or other drug use are ineffective. However, providing accurate information in combination with other strategies can result in measurable changes in attitude and behavior.

As school activity staff members, there are ten factors you should keep in mind when teaching about tobacco, alcohol or other drugs:

Be confident of your expertise

The credibility of the person giving the information is significantly related to the learner's willingness to accept the messages given. Research seems to indicate that an "outside expert" is not necessary in communicating about sensitive issues such as tobacco, alcohol or other drug use. Other factors --- such as familiarity to students, trustworthiness, attractiveness --- may be more significant. School activity staff members often have these characteristics in their relationships with young people and can be powerful messengers.

Be willing to discuss both sides of the issue

Research has shown that two-sided messages are more effective than one-sided messages. A one-sided message concentrates on only they negative effects of tobacco, alcohol or other drugs, and ignores any potential benefits of their use. Young people who are only exposed to information about the negative side effects of tobacco, alcohol or other drug use will be unprepared to counteract the information they get from their friends or other sources about the possible benefits.

Create active learners

The students' role in learning the information is also important. As with any other subject, active learning about tobacco, alcohol or other drugs is superior to passive learning. Young people need and want opportunities to talk about tobacco, alcohol or other drugs with adults they trust. School activity staff members can provide these opportunities.

Be one of many messengers

Multiple sources are superior to single sources. When young people hear the same positive messages from several sources --- their friends, their parents, classroom teachers, coaches, athletic directors, other school activities staff, clergy, law enforcement personnel and other significant adults --- they are more likely to accept the message.

Avoid mixed messages

It is easy to give mixed messages about tobacco, alcohol or other drugs. For example, some schools have invited sports heroes or popular performers who are ex-users to speak to young people. The speaker encourages young people --- by his or her words --- to not use tobacco, alcohol or other drugs. And yet he or she was able to achieve success while using drugs, and even now is gaining attention by telling stories of drug use.

Concentrate on short-term consequences

Young people respond more to information about short-term consequences than long-term ones. For instance, young people are more likely to avoid smoking because of bad breath than because of the potential for lung cancer.

Avoid scare tactics

Approaches that attempt to scare young people away from a particular behavior don't seem to have any long-term impact. The aura of infallibility that surrounds most adolescents protects them from believing that anything bad could ever happen to them. Many adolescents watch their peers use --- or use themselves --- without apparent consequences. In this case, scare tactics only serve to discredit the presenter of the information.

Use repetition

Advertisers have long known that our behavior as consumers strongly influenced by hearing and seeing brief, captivating commercials that are repeated many times. We can emulate this strategy by taking advantage of teachable moments to send brief, positive messages about not using tobacco, alcohol or other drugs.

Use data cautiously

Young people tend to believe, and act on the misperception, that "everybody is doing it." Instead, promote the fact that most young people choose not to use tobacco, alcohol or other drugs. Use trend data that clearly show how tobacco, alcohol or other drug use is declining.

Use teachable moments

Messages promoting the use of tobacco, alcohol or other drugs are pervasive in our society. Although some messages are direct, most are subtle. These subtle messages suggest that tobacco, alcohol or other drug use is associated with fame, fortune or success in athletics or other pursuits. Often these messages promote both use and misuse of drugs, including underage consumption of tobacco and alcohol.

The alcohol industry spends nearly $2 billion a year on advertising and promotion. Beer companies alone spend more than $675 million, most of it on TV ads that appear during sporting events. These messages reach a large number of young viewers. The average American youth will see literally thousands of beer commercials before he or she reaches the legal minimum drinking age.

Although we cannot shelter young people from all messages that promote the use of tobacco, alcohol or other drugs, we can challenge these messages. We can use many opportunities to encourage young people not to use tobacco, alcohol or other drugs, including those drugs which can alter performance.