A path to creating exceptional lives: Adapting and implementing an evidence based intervention as a comprehensive, culturally based substance abuse and HIV prevention initiative targeting high-risk African American and Latino young men ages 18 – 24

Funded by SAMHSA/CSAP the Drug Intervention Creating Exceptional Lives (DICE Lives) project seeks to 1) reduce substance abuse; 2) increase HIV testing and 3) reduce the transmission of HIV among 18-24 year old African American and Latino Men, in Los Angeles, CA. Our program sought to use an Evidenced Based Intervention (EBI). However, no EBI specific to our target population existed. Thus, DICE Lives underwent the adaptation of Project Towards No Drug Abuse (TND). TND is comprised of twelve 40-50 minute sessions conducted over a 4 week period. TND was originally designed as a classroom based substance abuse prevention program for youth ages 14-19 that teaches about the consequences of and misperceptions associated with substance use. During the first year of implementation 110 participants completed the program with a follow up rate at 30 days of 61%. There are a total of 22 knowledge questions for participants to answer; covering a wide range of intervention content, such as effective communication skills, drug use myths and facts and withdrawal symptoms. The average score was 9.96 at baseline, increased to 11.46 immediately after the intervention and further increased to a 13.4 at follow-up.

Thus, the intervention greatly improved participants' knowledge. Additionally, in the questionnaire, a set of questions asked participants about drug use during the past 30 days. For many of the drug categories, the percentage for “Not Used” increased from baseline to follow-up. Thus, the initial results of the substance abuse component for this adaptation seem promising.