ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the research evidence associated with the contention that drug education is counterproductive. The non-experimental evidence cited in the debate concerning the impact of drug education has taken various forms. It is clear from both the non-experimental and the experimental evidence that “negative” program effects are not isolated phenomena, but occur frequently enough and affect self-reported behavior often enough to require more careful scrutiny. More damaging is the possibility that drug education has produced effects counter to those intended—increasing drug use or pro-drug attitudes. Studies have sometimes asked respondents specifically about their views on the effectiveness of drug education programs: these studies have reported little effect on drug education in “stopping use of drugs” or in “affecting drug use”, or have shown mixed effects. With respect to “negative” program effects on reported drug use, several observations are in order.
