Application of Information Dissemination Approach to Addiction Preventive Programs among Adolescents

One of the major preventive measures against addiction is the performance of programs based on information dissemination approach. In such program, people get familiar with some of the facts concerning the consequences of addiction. The adolescents, who face the self-introduced drug abusers and their families, will learn about the results of addiction and will be able to control their behavior and views in the future (Lockwood 2000). In this research, drug abusers and their families attended programs held at high schools and explained about the negative consequences of drug abusing which sabotaged their psychosocial life. More than one thousand high school students (Experimental group) participated in this program through seven sessions after answering the inventory about their views toward addiction (pretest). They responded to the inventory after attending the sessions (Posttest). The results show significant differences (p < .01) in the views of the students toward addiction after and before participation in the program. In comparison with the control group, the subjects in experimental group changed their views negatively toward addiction because of facing the experiences of drug abusers about addiction.