Abstract
This volume is intended to help bridge the gap between science and practice that hinders effective prevention of youth substance abuse. The gap is attributable to many reasons, but among the ones most of concern are the lack of accessibility to information about proven programs, the limited consideration of practical matters in designing and testing theoretically promising efforts, and the lack of coordination of empirical evaluations to date. This effort was an attempt to lessen that gap by coordinating development and evaluation of a set of promising programs on the basis of sophisticated consideration of prior research and practical issues in delivery. The present volume brings this approach to prevention science together with description of how the programs are done and what is needed to make them work. By relating developmentally and contextually focused efforts through incorporation into each targeting of key substance use risk-promoting processes, and by applying strong methods of assessment and evaluating effects of each program, there is an efficient gain for science and practice knowledge. Moreover, there is an opportunity to more readily and immediately relate scientific findings to practical concerns. This concluding chapter addresses the following topics: Scientific development and evaluation to effect public health; Further steps to improve the utility of science to guide prevention of substance use; The added value when scientific efforts in prevention are coordinated; Furthering the benefits gained from coordination of research efforts; Coordinating efforts from a developmental-ecological perspective; and Using the evidence-based programs for practice. This may be an important turning point in relating research to practice and potentially effective interventions to real reductions in substance abuse. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved)