Introduction
PRIME For Life Under 21 has both prevention
and intervention components. As a prevention program, PRIME For
Life Under 21 works to reduce the risks of both categories of
alcohol-related problems: impairment problems (such as a drinking/driving
crash, injury, or unplanned sexual activity due to alcohol/drug
use) and long-term alcohol/drug related health problems (such
as alcoholism). As an intervention program, PRIME For Life Under
21 works to interrupt the progression into alcoholism/chemical
dependency and motivates participants to seek appropriate help.
The curriculum teaches the phases of drinking and drug use in
such a way that the adolescents' experiences with alcohol and
other drugs are re-framed. This re-framing often leads young people
to see, for the first time, how their use is truly endangering
their well being and the things that they value most in their
lives. Once defenses are reduced, the participants are guided
through a self-assessment of their level of use and problems,
and are encouraged to seek appropriate counseling and/or treatment.
Consequently, it is important for instructors to make linkages
with counseling services, self-help groups and with local treatment
resources, where available.
The prevention and intervention goals are achieved by accomplishing
one or more of the following objectives:
increasing the likelihood that the adolescents choose lifelong abstinence
from alcohol and drugs;
for those non-addicted adolescents who won't choose abstinence from
alcohol for the rest of their lives, encouraging them to decide
to abstain at least until they are older;
for youth who are not addicted and who will not abstain despite
the law, parental expectations, and encouragement to do so, decreasing
high-risk use;
helping youth who are already chemically dependent or who have other
counseling needs to accept a referral for further help.
While the major emphasis of the program is on alcohol, the curriculum
also contains a drug unit that addresses marijuana and brain chemistry.
Curriculum Length
The curriculum is designed as a core program with a variety of options
that tailor the program to the audience. The length can vary between
about 6 and 24 hours (usually taught 1-2 hours at a time). If no
options are used with a universal audience, the program takes about
6 hours to deliver. Using all options with a “pretreatment”
group takes about 24 hours. The variations in length are designed
to accommodate the differing needs of each group, as well as the
differing amounts of time available for teaching the curriculum.
Delivery
Using a persuasion-based teaching approach, instructors gently but
powerfully challenge common beliefs and attitudes that directly
contribute to high-risk alcohol and drug use. Program delivery includes
lecture, interactive presentations, and small group discussions.
Participants use study guides throughout the course to complete
a number of individual and group activities. Material is presented
using DVD or CD-ROM discs (using PowerPoint?) multimedia presentation
system. The system’s animation capabilities, full-motion video
clips, and audio clips enhance the presentation.
The text in the instructor’s manual is cross-referenced to
over 900 articles and books that provide the scientific support
for the program content. Teaching notes, tips, endnotes, answers
to frequently asked questions, and a glossary provide additional
support for instructors.
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