Needs assessment of youth drug abuse prevention education in Taiwan

The objectives of this study are to conduct the needs assessment of youth drug abuse prevention education. A sample of 518 faculties from middle schools in Taipei city and Taoyuan county were interviewed to understand the implementation of youth drug abuse prevention programs. In addition, 2787 middle school students and 2106 parents were randomly selected to collect the data. The results showed that the prevalence of alcohol, cigarette, betel nut use among middle school students in Taipei city were 8.8%, 3.7%, and 0.8%, while the prevalence of alcohol, cigarette, betel nut use among middle school students in Taoyuan County were 8.8%, 5.6%, and 1.0%. Moreover, 23 students (0.8%) reported that they ever used illicit drugs. In addition, the prevalence of several risk factors in Taoyuan County was higher than those in Taipei County. For example, these risk factors included students going internet café (Taipei: 25.2%, Taoyuan: 35.6%), low-income family (25.2%, 35.7%), paternal smoking (39.2%, 50.0%), friend smoking (10.8%, 19.0%), neighborhood smoking (20.5%, 29.4%), cigarette availability (10.8%, 19.0%). Multivariate analysis results indicated that students who were aborigines, having low drug use risk perception and higher drug use approval attitude were more likely to use substances. Students reported high level of learning needs on life skill training, drug use penalties, and drug use prevention resources. Multivariate analysis results showed that students in Taoyuan County, having higher drug use risk perception level, perception of high drug education effectiveness were more likely to have higher level of drug use prevention education needs.