Using Elite Athletes to Promote Drug Abstinence: Evaluation of a Single-Session School-Based Drug Use Prevention Program Delivered by Junior Hockey Players

ABSTRACT

School-based substance use prevention programs are a common method to approaching drug use in youths. Project SOS is a single-session drug prevention program developed by police officers and delivered by elite junior hockey players to students in grades 6 and 7. The current study evaluates the effects of Project SOS at achieving its objectives of educating youths about the consequences and dangers of illicit drugs, and changing attitudes with respect to drug use. Results highlight some promising findings, although few significant differences were seen from pretest to posttest on key outcomes of interest. Recommendations for adapting the program using evidence-based strategies are provided.

KEYWORDS:

• athletes
• evaluation
• mentors
• police officers
• school-based programs
• substance use prevention

Funding

Funding for this project was provided in part by a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Notes

1. Although a randomly assigned or matched comparison group was originally planned for the evaluation, limitations of access to schools and the evaluator not being able to participate in school selection precluded this plan.

2. While participating schools in Project SOS are ideally from disadvantaged neighborhoods, in practice, school selection is based primarily on willingness to participate when principals are contacted by the school liaison officer.

3. Sixteen students were excluded from the final sample because they had seen the Stay on Side presentation the year prior.