An Effectiveness Trial of Project ALERT

• Self-reported 30-day Use of Alcohol [ Time Frame: measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. They were asked on how many days they had used alcohol in the previous 30 days. Response options included "none," "1 or 2 days in the last month," "3 to 5 days in the last month," "6 to 19 days in the last month," and "20 or more days in the last month." Response options were dichotomized into none and at least one day.
  
  
• Self-reported 30-day Use of Cigarettes [ Time Frame: measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. They were asked on how many days they had smoked cigarettes in the previous 30 days. Response options included "none," "1 or 2 days in the last month," "3 to 5 days in the last month," "6 to 19 days in the last month," and "20 or more days in the last month." Response options were dichotomized into none and at least one day.
  
  
• Self-reported 30-day Marijuana Use [ Time Frame: measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. They were asked on how many days they had used marijuana in the previous 30 days. Response options included "none," "1 or 2 days in the last month," "3 to 5 days in the last month," "6 to 19 days in the last month," and "20 or more days in the last month." Response options were dichotomized into none and at least one day.
  
  
• Self-reported 30-day Inhalant Use [ Time Frame: measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. They were asked on how many days they had used inhalants in the previous 30 days. Response options included "none," "1 or 2 days in the last month," "3 to 5 days in the last month," "6 to 19 days in the last month," and "20 or more days in the last month." Response options were dichotomized into none and at least one day.
  
  
• Self-reported Lifetime Alcohol Use [ Time Frame: measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. To assess lifetime use, we asked if the respondent had ever used alcohol (yes or no).
  
  
• Self-reported Lifetime Cigarette Use [ Time Frame: measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. To assess lifetime use, we asked if the respondent had ever smoked cigarettes (yes or no).
  
  
• Self-reported Lifetime Marijuana Use [ Time Frame: measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. To assess lifetime use, we asked if the respondent had ever used marijuana (yes or no).
  
  
• Self-reported Lifetime Inhalant Use [ Time Frame: measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. To assess lifetime use, we asked if the respondent had ever used inhalants (yes or no).
  
  

Project ALERT is a substance abuse prevention program that targets middle school students. The purposes of this evaluation are to test its immediate and one-year effectiveness in a randomized experimental design that will span a total of 2.5 years for each of two cohorts. The cohorts are spaced one year apart to reduce our implementation and data collection burdens at any one time. The design for the two cohorts is identical. In schools randomly assigned to the treatment group, instructors receive Project ALERT training and materials prior to beginning the program and have access to technical assistance on request. In schools randomly assigned to the control group, teachers implement whatever substance abuse prevention curricula they normally would (if any).