Preventing smoking and other drug use: Let the buyers beware and the interventions be apt

Those concerned with smoking prevention programs in the schools may be misled by a recent report that 'we know what works: now let's make it happen.' The advocated 'social influences' programs appear to have no reliable effects on regular (≥ weekly) smoking and only short-term and small effects (5-8 percentage points) on 'experimental' (> weekly) smoking. To prevent smoking and other drug abuse among the children most at risk, it may be crucial to use broad-based, multidisciplinary interventions that go well beyond the health education classroom.