Evaluation of programs on drug use prevention in students from 6th to 9th grade schools in San Salvador

Abstract

The objective of the study was to determine if drug use prevention programs taught to seventh to ninth grade students have contributed to reducing alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use. Non-experimental study with a descriptive, multivariate approach with a cross-sectional and expositional design. The sample was non-probabilistic of 268 students. The instrument to collect the information consisted of 209 questions and the information analyzed descriptively, making some crossovers of variables to which the Chi-square test of independence was applied. In the development of the work, it was found that the only program that has been taught in the schools, where the study was developed, was the Education for Life Program. Also that the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana in the students was high. When relating the results on the consumption of tobacco, alcohol and marijuana of the present study, with others carried out previously, it was observed for the last 12 months and last 30 days that the consumption of tobacco and marijuana showed a tendency to increase and alcohol a slight reduction; however, marijuana use increased three to five times in relation to 2014. The Education for Life Program has not given the expected results in preventing the use of substances such as alcohol, tobacco and marijuana.