6 Month Efficacy Study to Begin

Dr. DeBenedittis has partnered with the Learning Lamp (http://www.thelearninglamp.org/ ), a prevention provider in Johnstown, PA, to conduct an efficacy study testing the power of the ALC to reduce student drinking 6 months after receiving the lesson. Reduced drinking outcomes from alcohol expectancy challenges conducted in bar laboratories have been shown in several studies to hold their effect for as much as 10 years – without booster sessions.

Because the prominent prevention paradigm in America relies on manipulating risk and protective factors, few people in the field believe that a single session program like the ALC can even be effective, let alone continue to show positive results over time. This study will help answer skeptics who are up to date on the nearly 1,000 published studies documenting the effectiveness of challenging alcohol expectancies as a prevention strategy. The study will be conducted during the 2016/2017 school year at several Johnstown area high school.