Drug-abuse prevention efforts for young children: a review and critique of existing programs.

Children under age five are increasingly the target of formal interventions aimed at deterring subsequent drug abuse. These prevention efforts are characterized, however, by a lack of empirical research on the variables involved in inoculating very young children against later drug use, and the lack of assessments research demonstrating their effectiveness. Curriculum-based antidrug programs for preschool children are reviewed, and developmental and early intervention research is used as the basis of recommendations for strengthening such efforts.