Cortez 1 Denise Cortez Professor H English 114A November 5, 2013 Word Count: 755 Teen Drug Education The

author of the article claims that teen drug education helps prevent risky sexual behavior. These drug education programs can have a positive impact on teens, according to a new RAND Corporation study. Researchers found that adolescents who engaged in the participation of a drug abuse prevention program were less likely to expose themselves to a risky sexual behavior. The study showed strong evidence that these prevention programs can help keep young adults from engaging in sexual behavior that may put them at risk. The RAND study also found that young adults involved in these programs were less likely to have unprotected sex and have sex with multiple partners at a young age due to drug and alcohol abuse. Those who were not engaged in these programs were more likely to be engaged in these sexual activities. However, they found that even those who were in these drug and alcohol prevention programs had the same possibility as those who werent to not use condoms. RAND researchers conducted a health study among 1,901 unmarried 21-year-olds in South Dakota, this study was called the Project ALERT. These participants were exposed to this project while they were in middle school. According to the results, from these 1,091 participants, 631 of them attended schools that received 14 Project ALERT lessons during middle school, 499 of them attended schools that received 10 additional lessons during

Cortez 2 high school and 771 of them attended schools that did not offer the Project ALERT program. Although the risky sexual behavior was very common among these study participants, it was less predominant among those exposed to project ALERT. The study also showed that they were less likely to have multiple sexual partners (45% versus 50%) and have unprotected sex due to drug abuse (27% versus 32%) compared to those who were not involved in the Project ALERT. Among these participants, 71% of them reported that they lacked the use of condoms. Researchers, linked sexual behavior with the use of drugs and alcohol. They say the difference between those engaged in Project ALERT and those not engaged may be because those engaged in the project consumed less amounts of drugs and alcohol. They did not fully explain the sexual behavior of those who consumed a lower level of substances between the two groups. They did not find a significant difference in risky sexual behavior between those who only engaged in Project ALERT in middle school and those who extended to the project in 9th and 10th grade. "The findings support the case for the costeffectiveness of the basic Project ALERT program by showing it provides benefits for two different types of risky behaviors and by showing that those benefits are long lasting," Ellickson said. When Phyllis Ellickson stated, "The lessons these young people learned about how to avoid drug and alcohol abuse appears to have had a positive impact on their sexual behavior as well. I disagree with his statement because I believe that lessons on drug and alcohol have nothing to do with the risk of sexual behavior. Having an education on the effects of drugs and alcohol does not cover the possible consequences of risky sexual behavior, rather it just gives us the vague idea that the use of these substances lead us to

Cortez 3 engage in the practice of risky sexual behavior. Even though it was proven that the use of these substances lead to risky sexual behavior, its also possible that even those who do not use such substances engage in risky sexual behavior. The risks of drug and alcohol abuse are not similar to those of sexual behavior. In order for young adults to be aware of the risks of sexual behavior, they need to engage in a program that teaches them about sex education. I also disagreed with Ellicksons statement, "Although the effects we found are somewhat modest, these findings show that the benefits of drug abuse prevention programs are not confined to drug use alone and can continue for many years after young people receive the instruction. I dont think the effects they found were modest. They did not go into much detail about what the prevention programs cover as far as sexual behavior. All they specified in the article was how drug and alcohol abuse lead you to engage in risky sexual behavior. By just saying that, anyone will automatically think they dont need these prevention programs because they already know that the substance abuse leads them to these risky behaviors and wont go in depth to learn more.

Cortez 4 Works Cited Behavior, Study Finds. Science Daily. Apr 29, 2009. Web. November 5, 2013.