Can First and Second Grade Students Benefit from an Alcohol Use Prevention Program?

ABSTRACT

Protecting You/Protecting Me (PY/PM) is a classroombased, alcohol use prevention and vehicle safety program for elementary students from first through fifth grades developed by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). PY/PM is one of the first alcohol prevention programs to target children as early as first grade. The focus of this study is on the youngest students receiving PY/PM, the first and second graders, who were surveyed over a three-year period. Results indicate that, relative to comparison students from matched classes, PY/PM students increased their knowledge of vehicle safety, media awareness, growth and development, and dangers of alcohol to young persons. This study demonstrates that despite the inherent difficulties of surveying very young children, these children can benefit from an alcohol use prevention program that is carefully designed, implemented, and evaluated.

KEYWORDS:

• Alcohol
• prevention
• early intervention
• children
• vehicle safety
• elementary school
• evaluation