Effectiveness of the Botvin High School LifeSkills Training Intervention on Adolescent Substance Use: A…

Randomized trialThe Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine· Jul 2026

Effectiveness of the Botvin High School LifeSkills Training Intervention on Adolescent Substance Use: A Cluster Randomized Trial.

Christine M Steeger, Katie Massey Combs, Sarah J Racz … Karl G Hill

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Adolescent MedicineRandomized trialQ1IF 3.4

Program increased resistance to advertising, but not actual substance use, at 21 months.

Effectiveness of the Botvin High School LifeSkills Training Intervention on Adolescent Substance Use: A Cluster Randomized Trial.

Christine M Steeger … Karl G Hill

The Journal of adolescent health · Jul 2026 · Q1 in Pediatrics

Purpose

This study evaluated the high school version of the Botvin LifeSkills Training program to prevent or reduce adolescent substance use and other problem behaviors.

Methods

We randomized 50 high schools (N = 2,475 students) in Colorado and Ohio to either a 10-session, teacher-led intervention group (n = 29 schools, n = 1,324 students) or a business-as-usual control group (n = 21 schools, n = 1,151 students).

n = 2,475

Results

β = .58

students in the program showed greater resistance to advertising than controls

n = 2,475

More results

All other intervention effects were nonsignificant.

DISCUSSION: This large-scale, independent evaluation found significant intervention effects on two mechanisms targeted by the intervention but null effects on all behavioral outcomes.

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Conclusion

We consider these results in the context of LifeSkills Training program characteristics, developmental trends in substance use behaviors, and potential influences of the COVID-19 pandemic on intervention research with adolescents.

Effectiveness of the Botvin High School LifeSkills Training Intervention on Adolescent Substance Use: A Cluster Randomized Trial.

Effectiveness of the Botvin High School LifeSkills Training Intervention on Adolescent Substance Use: A Cluster Randomized Trial.

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