This program targets drug use and violence-related behaviors (Gorman, 217). Multiple institutes including the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and U.S. Mental Health and Substance Abuse consider this program to be exemplary (217-218). This programs main goal was to look at the, “main effects on cigarette, alcohol and marijuana use; main effects on the use of other drugs such as cocaine (including crack), hallucinogens (e.g., LSD, acid, mushrooms), inhalants, ecstasy, and other drugs (e.g., depressants, PCP, steroids and heroin) which are called “hard drugs” in the evaluations (Gorman, 218). When looking at the main effects on cigarette, alcohol and marijuana use, there was “very little evidence” supporting that the Project Towards No Drug Abuse had any significant part in preventing or reducing the use of cigarette, alcohol or marijuana use (Gorman, 221). Furthermore, looking at the effects on hard drug use there is a, “statistically significant main effect on hard drug use” (Gorman, 221). A year after the studies were conducted, it was determined that there was a general prevalence of prevention on the use of hard drugs, whereas there was still little to no evidence indicating prevention on the use of cigarette, alcohol or marijuana use. When looking at the data after …show more content…
This article confirms the information that Dennis Gorman presented in his article reviewing and critiquing the program. Sussman et al. indicates that, “An effect has been found on alcohol use in four trials, and on cigarettes and marijuana in two” (233). Sussman et al. went further on to say indicate in his article that it could be argued that effects on marijuana use were found in three trials instead of the two. While Sussman et al. agree with Gorman on a majority of the critique he provided in his review, they also indicate that the evidence may be misleading and that there was bold conclusion made in regard to the results of the seven studies conducted (237). Several other considerations were made in reference to the review by Gorman that would have indicated different results other than what Gorman reported (Sussman et al.,