NIDA has identified the need to make best practices in drug abuse prevention available to the widest possible number of people. Nowhere is that more important than in preventing the use of alcohol and drugs by adolescents. Adolescent drug use is tied to school failure, interpersonal violence, risky social behavior, including injury and unsafe sexual activity, and addiction. This proposal is to evaluate the content of an existing research-based CD-ROM prevention program, relate for teens, to modify it for Internet delivery, and then evaluate its effectiveness in changing norms about drugs, developing assertiveness skills and actually reducing drug use. Relate for teens is an award-winning, research-based and tested, interactive CD-ROM-based prevention program. In Phase I, Ripple Effects will have an Expert Panel evaluate the existing relate for teens CD-ROM content for concurrence with best practices, survey program facilitators to determine time constraints for prevention programming, modify content accordingly, build a web prototype of a drug abuse prevention program, and evaluate its effectiveness and feasibility for Phase II expansion. In Phase III if feasibility is proven, Ripple Effects will complete the Internet substance abuse prevention product for adolescents, and further evaluate it for effectiveness.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Small Business Innovation Research Grants (SBIR) - Phase II (R44)
Project #
4R44DA013325-02
Application #
6682416
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-BBBP-5 (02))
Program Officer
Seitz, Larry
Project Start
2002-06-15
Project End
2004-11-30
Budget Start
2003-02-01
Budget End
2003-11-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2003
Total Cost
$518,000
Indirect Cost
Name
Ripple Effects, Inc.
Department
Type
DUNS #
806489324
City
San Francisco
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94105