PMID- 38105000
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20240305
LR  - 20240305
IS  - 1360-0443 (Electronic)
IS  - 0965-2140 (Linking)
VI  - 119
IP  - 4
DP  - 2024 Apr
TI  - An on-line school-based substance use harm reduction programme: The Illicit 
      Project randomized controlled trial results.
PG  - 741-752
LID - 10.1111/add.16403 [doi]
AB  - AIMS: The aim of this study was to measure the effectiveness of an on-line, 
      neuroscience-based harm reduction intervention (The Illicit Project) on substance 
      use, harms and knowledge over a 12-month period. DESIGN: We used a two-arm 
      cluster-randomized controlled trial. SETTING: The study was conducted at eight 
      secondary schools across New South Wales, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 950 
      (mean age = 15.9; standard deviation = 0.68) in grades 10-12 at participating 
      schools in 2020 took part. INTERVENTION AND COMPARATOR: The Illicit Project 
      intervention group (schools = five, n = 681) received an on-line, universal 
      substance use and harm reduction programme over three classes. The active control 
      group (schools = three, n = 269) received school-based health education as usual. 
      MEASUREMENTS: Self-report questionnaires assessed primary [alcohol, nicotine, 
      cannabis, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), cocaine and prescription drug 
      misuse] and secondary outcomes (alcohol-related harms and drug literacy) at 
      baseline and the 6- and 12-month follow-up assessment. FINDINGS: Approximately 
      63% (n = 595) of the sample completed the 12-month follow-up assessment, 
      including 58% of the intervention group (n = 396/679) and 66% of the active 
      control group (n = 179/271). Participants in the intervention group had slower 
      annual increases in binge drinking [odds ratio (OR) = 0.33, 95% confidence 
      interval (CI) = 0.12-0.89], nicotine use (OR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.52-1.23), MDMA 
      use (OR = 0.14, 95% CI = 0.02-1.00), cocaine use (OR = 0.06, 95% CI = 0.01-0.64) 
      and prescription drug misuse (OR = 0.07, 95% CI = 0.01-0.54) compared with the 
      active control group. There was limited evidence of an intervention effect on 
      cannabis use and alcohol-related harm (P > 0.5). The secondary outcomes showed 
      that the intervention group maintained higher levels of drug literacy knowledge 
      (beta = 3.71, 95% CI = 1.86-5.56) and harm reduction help-seeking skills (beta = 1.55, 
      95% CI = 0.62-2.48) compared with the active control group. CONCLUSION: The 
      Illicit Project (an on-line, neuroscience-based substance use harm reduction 
      intervention) was effective in slowing the uptake of risky substance use and 
      improving drug literacy skills among late secondary school students in Australia, 
      compared with school-based health education as usual.
CI  - (c) 2023 The Authors. Addiction published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of 
      Society for the Study of Addiction.
FAU - Debenham, Jennifer
AU  - Debenham J
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-9596-9484
AD  - The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The 
      University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
FAU - Birrell, Louise
AU  - Birrell L
AD  - The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The 
      University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
FAU - Champion, Katrina E
AU  - Champion KE
AD  - The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The 
      University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
FAU - Newton, Nicola
AU  - Newton N
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-6305-2623
AD  - The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The 
      University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
LA  - eng
GR  - The University of Sydney Postgraduate Research Scholarship - the Matilda Centre/
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Randomized Controlled Trial
DEP - 20231217
PL  - England
TA  - Addiction
JT  - Addiction (Abingdon, England)
JID - 9304118
RN  - KE1SEN21RM (N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine)
RN  - 6M3C89ZY6R (Nicotine)
RN  - I5Y540LHVR (Cocaine)
SB  - IM
MH  - Humans
MH  - Adolescent
MH  - Harm Reduction
MH  - *N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine
MH  - Nicotine
MH  - Alcohol Drinking
MH  - *Substance-Related Disorders/complications
MH  - Schools
MH  - Surveys and Questionnaires
MH  - *Prescription Drug Misuse
MH  - *Cocaine
MH  - School Health Services
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - Adolescence
OT  - alcohol
OT  - harm reduction
OT  - prevention
OT  - schools
OT  - substance use
EDAT- 2023/12/18 00:41
MHDA- 2024/03/05 06:45
CRDT- 2023/12/17 20:23
PHST- 2023/03/09 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2023/11/01 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2024/03/05 06:45 [medline]
PHST- 2023/12/18 00:41 [pubmed]
PHST- 2023/12/17 20:23 [entrez]
AID - 10.1111/add.16403 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Addiction. 2024 Apr;119(4):741-752. doi: 10.1111/add.16403. Epub 2023 Dec 17.