Category Archives: Press Releases

WHITE PLAINS, NY – Recent research reveals an effective new strategy for combating the growing epidemic of prescription opioid misuse among youth. Researchers funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reported that a school-based prevention program, called Botvin LifeSkills Training(LST), delivered in 7^th grade classrooms can help students avoid misusing prescriptions opioids and other drugs throughout their teen years.

Through the LST program, students learn not only how to resist pressures to smoke, drink, and use drugs. They also learn important life skills such as how to make informed decisions and solve problems, how to manage stress and anxiety, and how to communicate clearly. The combination of drug resistance skills and life skills has proven to be a powerful formula for preventing drug use and even violence.

The new study also showed that LST’s impact on prescription opioid misuse made it a good financial investment for communities.  The evaluation showed that communities that implemented LST more than recouped its cost in reduced health, social, and other expenditures related to teen prescription opioid misuse.

“We know that effective prevention programs can produce a powerful public health benefit by helping teens avoid the damaging effects of drug abuse and violence. This study proves that it can also cut prescription opioid misuse and can save money,” said Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin, professor emeritus at Cornell University’s Weill Medical College and developer of the LST program. “A relatively small upfront investment in a proven prevention program such as LST can yield tremendous health and economic benefits.”

Dr. D. Max Crowley from Duke University, with colleagues from Penn State University, evaluated the impacts of LST and two other school-based interventions. However, LST was the only intervention that was effective by itself. The researchers drew the data for the evaluation from a recent trial of the PROmoting School-community-university Partnerships to Enhance Resilience (PROSPER) prevention program. PROSPER is led jointly by Richard Spoth at Iowa State University and Mark Greenberg at Penn State University, with research funding from NIDA.

Over 35 federally-funded studies show that LST protects teens against tobacco, alcohol, substance use, and other problem behaviors such as delinquency and violence. These benefits presumably would further increase communities’ economic advantage in implementing effective prevention programs.

About Botvin LifeSkills Training      

Botvin LifeSkills Training (LST) is a highly acclaimed, evidence-based substance abuse and violence prevention program used in schools and communities. LST has been extensively tested and proven to reduce tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use by as much as 80%. Long-term follow-up studies also show that it produces prevention effects that are durable and long-lasting. Vist www.lifeskillstraining.com for more information.

Contact: Paulina Kalaj

Director, Communications & Media Relations

800-293-4969

WHITE PLAINS, NY – Doctors in Peru are turning to a U.S.-based prevention program that has been tested and proven effective in preventing violence and substance abuse.  Over the next three years, Elementary, Middle and High school students in Lima will participate in the Botvin LifeSkills Trainingprogram, an evidence-based substance abuse and violence prevention program used throughout the world.

Through the LST program, students learn not only how to resist pressures to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, and use illicit drugs. They also learn important life skills such as how to make informed decisions and solve problems, how to manage stress and anxiety, and how to communicate clearly. The combination of drug resistance skills and life skills has proven to be a powerful formula for preventing drug use and violence.

“We chose LST because it was evidence based, was flexible and could be taught by different types of professionals,” said Dr. Alfredo Massa, Director of Medico INTEGRO.  Dr. Massa went on to say that they chose LST to reduce drug use and violence in Lima. “It is easy to understand and teach, and has been used in many countries already.”

To date, an estimated 50,000 teachers, 10,000 schools, and 3 million students have participated in the LifeSkills Training program.

“We are thrilled to see increased usage of evidence-based prevention programs across the world,” said Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin, LST program developer and professor emeritus at Cornell University’s Weill Medical College. “The effectiveness of LST and its widespread use in the U.S. have paved the way for 38 other countries around the world to adopt our program.”

LST has been used with youth in all 50 states in the United States as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Outside the United States, it has been used in Australia, Bermuda, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Costa Rica, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.

About Botvin LifeSkills Training

Botvin LifeSkills Training (LST) is a highly acclaimed, evidence-based substance abuse and violence prevention program used in schools and communities. LST has been extensively tested and proven to reduce tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use by as much as 80%. Long-term follow-up studies also show that it produces prevention effects that are durable and long-lasting. For more information visit www.lifeskillstraining.com

Contact:

Paulina Kalaj

Director, Communications & Media Relations

800-293-4969

WHITE PLAINS – Carmel Unified School district (CUSD) has reason to celebrate this school year as they find bullying, drugs and alcohol use are dwindling due to a multi-year implementation of a popular prevention curriculum called Botvin LifeSkills Training (LST). Based on the most recent California Healthy Kids Survey results (2014-15), CUSD has seen reductions upwards of 50% for alcohol/drug use and incidents often associated with bullying.

CUSD’s Board of Education identified drug/alcohol and bullying prevention as a top priority and it has been the focus of an objective in the district’s long-term goals. Five years ago, the rural school district in California selected LST as their top prevention program in grades 3 – 10.

“In recent years a group of stakeholders evaluated several evidence-based prevention programs and it was clear from the research that one program stood out from the rest: Lifeskills Training,” said Heath Rocha, Chief Student Services Officer, CUSD.

Through the LST program, students learn more than how to resist pressures to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, and use illicit drugs; they also learn important life skills such as problem-solving, how to manage stress and anxiety, and how to communicate clearly. The combination of drug resistance skills and life skills has proven to be a powerful formula for preventing drug use and bullying.

“With the enormous research supporting Lifeskills Training’s efficacy, coupled with our experience, there is not a better program in existence that does a better job promoting social-emotional development, positive behaviors and relationships, and reduces the risk of alcohol and drug use/abuse,” said Rocha.

In addition to implementing the LST in grades 3 – 10, CUSD created a multi-pronged approach that included a social norms campaign, a parent committee, counseling, and multiple initiatives including a voluntary drug testing program.

About Botvin LifeSkills Training

Botvin LifeSkills Training (LST) is an evidence-based substance abuse and violence prevention program used in schools and communities. LST has been extensively tested and proven to reduce tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use by as much as 80%. Long-term follow-up studies also show that it produces prevention effects that are durable and long-lasting. For more information, visit www.lifeskillstraining.com.

Contact:

Paulina Kalaj

Director, Communications & Media Relations

800-293-4969

pkalaj@nhpamail.com

WHITE PLAINS, NY – A recently published study sheds light on how to prevent teen drug abuse and provides new evidence that the conventional wisdom regarding the timing of prevention efforts may be wrong.  The current study shows that, with the right program, it’s possible to cut high school drug abuse in half.

Challenging the prevailing wisdom that high school is too late a time to start prevention programs, the study, published in the World Journal of Preventive Medicine, shows that an approach proven effective with elementary and middle school students also works with high school students. The study compared students attending schools assigned at random to either receive or not receive the Botvin LifeSkills Training (LST) High School program, which was adapted from the evidence-based LST Middle School program. The LST program prevents tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use by teaching students skills for coping with the challenges of life, reducing motivations to use drugs and engage in unhealthy behaviors, and fostering overall resilience

Researchers found that the LST high school program reduced drug abuse in teens. Compared to the non-LST control group, there were 52% fewer daily substance users in the LST group.  The study shows that dramatic reductions in drug abuse are possible with high school students across different racial/ethnic groups and different parts of the country.

“These are very exciting findings. This study not only shows that it’s possible to cut drug abuse in half among high school students. It also shows that you can do so with a program delivered by classroom teachers who only need minimal specialized training. Since this kind of program is inexpensive and can be widely disseminated to schools across the country, it offers tremendous potential as a cost-effective approach to a major public health problem,” said Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin, developer of the LifeSkills Training program and professor emeritus of Cornell University’s Weill Medical College.

The LifeSkills Training high school program is a highly interactive curriculum that teaches students skills that have been found to prevent substance use and violence. Rather than merely teaching information about the dangers of drug abuse, the LST program promotes healthy alternatives to risky behavior. Throughout the program, students develop strategies for making healthy decisions, reducing stress, and managing anger, as well as strengthening their communication skills and learning how to build healthy relationships. The program also helps students understand the consequences of substance use, risk-taking, and the influences of the media.

Contact:

Paulina Kalaj

Director, Communications & Media Relations

800-293-4969

pkalaj@nhpamail.com

WHITE PLAINS, NY – National Health Promotion Associates (NHPA) welcomes a new class of interns for the 2015 summer program, Internship in Psychology, Health Education, and Communication.

NHPA selected three interns from a crowded pool of extremely qualified applicants from colleges and universities around the country. This year’s interns include: Christopher Fox (Bates College), Samantha Goodman (University of Michigan), and Isabella Serrano (Brown University).

The interns will work on projects giving them a broad overview of the stages involved in developing educational prevention programs. The internship program will focus on issues related to health promotion and wellness, health communication and marketing, and the many facets of prevention.

“We are pleased to offer an internship in Psychology, Health Education, and Communication.  We are continually impressed by this group of students,” said Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin, the founder and president of NHPA. “They are bright, energetic and very well prepared by their previous course work. It is our hope that the interns return to their respective universities with a greater understanding of psychology in an applied setting. They are fully engaged in learning about a wide range of activities from early-stage conceptualization and evaluation of new prevention tools to the ultimate dissemination of new evidence-based preventive interventions. We are excited to have them spend time with us.”

Over the course of the summer, the interns will be involved in the development of numerous projects that employ Botvin Lifeskills Training (LST) at the National Health Promotion Associates headquarters. LST is an evidence-based prevention program for tobacco, alcohol and drug abuse, violence prevention, and bullying implemented in 38 countries around the world. Specifically, the interns will work on the application of the Botvin Lifeskills Training Program to the Youth Courts of Memphis Tennessee, help create an online cyber bullying prevention program, and take part in the development of an online sexual assault prevention program for college students.

About National Health Promotion Associates

Established in 1985, National Health Promotion Associates (NHPA) is a dynamic health and wellness firm located in White Plains, New York. Dedicated to promoting behavioral health, NHPA focuses on developing, evaluating, and providing training to educators and health professionals on a range of health and wellness programs. An area of particular interest relates to the prevention of health risk behaviors among adolescents and young adults, including substance abuse, violence, bullying, and sexual violence. For more information visit: www.lifeskillstraining.com.

Contact:

Paulina Kalaj

Director, Communications & Media Relations

800-293-4969

pkalaj@nhpamail.com

About Botvin LifeSkills Training                                                                                             

Botvin LifeSkills Training (LST) is an evidence-based substance abuse and violence prevention program used in schools and communities throughout the U.S. and in 36 countries around the world. LST has been extensively tested and proven to reduce tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use by as much as 80%. It is effective when implemented using different delivery formats, when taught by different providers, and when delivered to different populations. It works with elementary school, middle school, and high school students. Long-term follow-up studies also show that it produces prevention effects that are durable and long-lasting. For more information call 800-293-4969 or visit www.lifeskillstraining.com.

Contact: Paulina Kalaj, 800-293-4969, pkalaj@nhpamail.com

WHITE PLAINS, NY – Botvin LifeSkills Training, a top-rated prevention program proven to reduce substance abuse and violence, was featured at the 2014 Blueprints Conference for Healthy Youth Development. The conference, held in Denver, Colorado, featured LifeSkills Training (LST) and other prevention programs identified as effective by a national panel of prevention experts. Dr. Botvin’s presentation described the LST program and summarized the scientific evidence proving its effectiveness. The session also focused on practical strategies for promoting the adopting and successful implementation of evidence-based prevention programs such as LST. Joining Dr. Botvin were Alayne MacArthur and Pamela Werb, two senior LST trainers who have extensive teaching, training, and curriculum development experience.  In addition, LST was featured in a well-attended all-day pre-conference workshop session. Attendees participated in an interactive, peer-based training experience covering important topics related to the successful implementation and sustainability of the LST program with an emphasis on strategies for enhancing planning, implementation, student engagement and long-term use of LST.

The goal of the international Blueprints Conference is to motivate the violence and drug prevention field to adopt evidence-based programs and provide support, guidance, and tools to help practitioners implement these programs successfully in their own communities. More than 500 people attended, including professionals working in the areas of juvenile justice, violence, and drug abuse prevention for youth. The Blueprints Conference is part of a larger initiative to identify and promote the use of prevention programs proven effective through rigorous evaluation research.

“The Blueprints initiative has a tremendous impact on all prevention because it gives decision-makers the tools necessary to identify the most effective programs,” said invited speaker Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin, an internationally known prevention expert and developer of the LifeSkills Training (LST) substance abuse and violence prevention program. “In order to improve the quality of health in America and reduce future health costs, it is vitally important that those responsible for selecting and adopting programs have access to information about the most effective and scientifically proven prevention programs and policies.”

LifeSkills Training is a model prevention program identified by Blueprints for Violence Prevention, the national violence prevention initiative. Established in 1996 by Professor Del Elliott from the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV) at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Blueprints for Violence Prevention monitors the effectiveness of prevention, early intervention, and treatment programs in reducing adolescent violent crime, aggression, delinquency, and substance abuse. More recently, this initiative has been expanded to focus more broadly on healthy youth development.

About Botvin LifeSkills Training

Botvin LifeSkills Training (LST) is an evidence-based substance abuse and violence prevention program used in schools and communities throughout the U.S. and in 36 countries around the world. LST has been extensively tested and proven to reduce tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use by as much as 80%. It is effective when implemented using different delivery formats, when taught by different providers, and when delivered to different populations. It works with elementary school, middle school, and high school students. Long-term follow-up studies also show that it produces prevention effects that are durable and long-lasting. For more information call 800-293-4969 or visit www.lifeskillstraining.com.

Media Contact:  Paulina Kalaj, 800-293-4969, pkalaj@nhpamail.com

WHITE PLAINS, NY – Investing in prevention makes great economic sense, according to a new study. The report, part of a series of economic studies conducted by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP), determined that communities will reap substantial savings by using effective drug abuse and violence prevention programs. Among the most dramatic findings were those for a drug abuse and violence prevention program called Botvin LifeSkills Training (LST). Researchers found that the LST program produced a $50 benefit for every $1 invested–yielding the highest return on investment of any substance abuse prevention curriculum studied.

“We know that effective prevention programs can produce a powerful public health benefit by helping teens avoid the damaging effects of tobacco, alcohol, illicit drug abuse, and violence. This updated report proves that it has the added benefit of also making good economic sense,” said Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin, professor emeritus at Cornell University’s Weill Medical College and developer of the LST program. “A relatively small upfront investment in a proven prevention program such as LST can yield tremendous health and economic benefits in terms of both the positive health effects it provides students and the potential cost savings for communities and the larger society.”

Tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug abuse cost the United States over $500 billion a year. Therefore, the nationwide use of prevention programs that have been tested and proven effective offer considerable economic benefits at a time when health costs are spiraling higher each year. Unfortunately, surveys show that most schools are not using programs proven to work. And just as programs vary in effectiveness, they also vary in their costs, economic benefits, and potential return on investment.  Encouraging the use of tested and effective prevention programs shown to produce a high return on investment can produce substantial savings and help cut health costs throughout the country.

Washington State Institute for Public Policy provided the results of new analyses in their most recent report entitled “Return on Investment: Evidence-Based Options to Improve Statewide Outcomes.” The report, similar to an investment advisor’s “buy-sell” list, contains current recommendations on policy options that can give taxpayers a good return on their investment (“buys”), as well as those that apparently cannot (“sells”). Investing in LST represents a 50-to-1 return to communities in terms of reduced corrections costs, welfare and social services burdens, drug and mental health treatment, and increased employment and tax revenue. This 50-to-1 return is an increase over the last report in April 2012 of a 38-to-1 return.

About Botvin LifeSkills Training
Botvin LifeSkills Training (LST) is an evidence-based substance abuse and violence prevention program used in schools and communities throughout the U.S. and in 36 countries around the world. LST has been extensively tested and proven to reduce tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use by as much as 80%. It is effective when implemented using different delivery formats, when taught by different providers, and when delivered to different populations. It works with elementary school, middle school, and high school students. Long-term follow-up studies also show that it produces prevention effects that are durable and long-lasting. For more information call 800-293-4969 or visit www.lifeskillstraining.com.

Contact:

Paulina Kalaj
800-293-4969
pkalaj@nhpamail.com

WHITE PLAINS, NY – New research shows that a school-based prevention program can help in the fight against prescription drug abuse among teens.  A study from Duke and Penn State Universities found that while the effectiveness of school-based  programs differ, one program was not only effective when used by itself but also among the most cost-effective programs studied.  That program, Botvin LifeSkills Training (LST), has been extensively tested and proven effective in preventing violence, and the use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs.  The LST program, implemented in schools all over the U.S. and in 36 countries around the world, fosters youth development by teaching personal coping skills, general social skills, and skills for resisting pressures to smoke, drink, use drugs, and engage in other risk behaviors.

The study is among the first to measure the success and cost-effectiveness of prescription drug abuse prevention efforts. Researchers studied 11,000 teenagers at 28 rural public school districts in Iowa and Pennsylvania for six years. The best results came from pairing a school program such as Botvin LifeSkills Training with a family intervention, resulting in a 10% decrease in abuse rates. The Botvin LifeSkills Training program was the only school program that was effective when used by itself and resulted in lower drug abuse rates among teens.

“It’s clear that effective prevention programs offer the potential for producing a powerful public health benefit by helping teens avoid the damaging effects of prescription drug abuse. This new report proves that it has the added benefit of making good economic sense,” said Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin, professor emeritus at Cornell University’s Weill Medical College and developer of the LST program. “A relatively small upfront investment can yield tremendous health and economic benefits in terms of both the immediate- and long-term positive effects our program has on the students who participate in it.”

The study notes that, by conservative estimates, prescription drug abusers cost society an average of $7,500 each year for treatment and other expenses. Botvin LifeSkills Training was also among the most cost-effective programs studied. Research shows that LST can save as much as $38 for every dollar spent.

About Botvin LifeSkills Training

Botvin LifeSkills Training (LST) is an evidence-based substance abuse and violence prevention program used in schools and communities throughout the US and in 36 countries around the world. LST has been extensively tested and proven to reduce tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use by as much as 80%. It is effective when implemented with different delivery formats, when taught by different providers, and when delivered to different populations. It also works with elementary school, middle school, and high school students. Long-term follow-up studies also show that it produces prevention effects which are durable and long-lasting. For more information call 800-293-4969 or visit www.lifeskillstraining.com.

Contact:

WHITE PLAINS, NY—National Health Promotion Associates (NHPA) is pleased to announced that it has been awarded a contract from the National Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to develop a mobile app that can connect adolescents to local pregnancy prevention resources.

The CDC has set a priority to support a range of innovative tools and interventions that enable teens to experience better reproductive health. In response to this priority area, NHPA submitted its award-winning proposal to help prevent premature sexual behavior and adolescent pregnancy.

NHPA will develop an app that gives adolescents direct access to accurate, evidence-based, comprehensive, and teen-friendly information and resources regarding pregnancy prevention. Using smartphone technology will help ensure that health services and vital resources are current and immediately available. It will also provide them with the “life skills” needed to cope with the many challenges facing teens.

“We are excited about receiving this CDC funding and look forward to developing a modern tool to link adolescents and their parents and caregivers to resources and services in their own communities,” said Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin, professor emeritus of Cornell University’s Weill Medical College and president of NHPA.

Dr. Christopher Williams, Senior Vice President of NHPA and director of the team developing the new app for CDC, added that “this new mobile app has significant public health relevance and pairs the most effect evidence-based prevention science with smartphones—a tool that has a large presence in the day-to-day lives of adolescents.”

About National Health Promotion Associates

National Health Promotion Associates (NHPA) is a dynamic and innovative health research and development firm located in White Plains, New York. NHPA focuses on developing, evaluating, and providing training for a range of health and wellness programs. An area of particular interest relates to the prevention of adolescent health risk behaviors such as substance abuse, violence, bullying, and teen pregnancy. For more information visit: www.lifeskillstraining.com.

Contact:

Paulina Kalaj 800-293-4969 pkalaj@nhpamail.com