The “No Win”: Drug Education Evaluation Problems

Abstract

Confusion on the goals of prevention and treatment has led some schools to define the nature of their drug abuse education program in such fashion that they cannot reasonably expect success. Drug abuse prevention goals are the domain of education. New models for evaluating such goals need to be developed.

In some areas drug education evaluation has imposed “no win” rules upon itself. An advertising agency would be delighted if its new approach netted an increase of from 10 per cent of the available market to 11 per cent of the available market. But educational efforts are expected to completely change the nature of nearly all peoples behavior.