Abstract: This volume contains the final version of the three background papers. It should be read together with HIV/AIDS and Injection Drug Use: Legal and Ethical Issues, the report on phases I and II of the project, which contains a summary of the analysis of the seven priority issues, and the recommendations developed by the workshop participants. The report is based on the background papers in this volume and the comments made by workshop participants at the three workshops held between November 1997 and March 1999.

Abstract: Ce livre propose une information accessible à un large public, permettant de mieux connaître cannabis, cocaïne, ecstasy, héroïne, alcool, tabac, produits dopants et médicaments psychoactifs : leurs effets et leurs dangers, les différents comportements de consommation, les données épidémiologiques, les législations en vigueur, comment agir et aider, quelques repères historiques, une sélection d’ouvrages pour aller plus loin, un lexique, les sites internet utiles et les lignes téléphoniques pour être aidé.

Abstract: Recent advances in prevention science provide evidence that adolescent health and behavior problems can be prevented by high-quality prevention services. However, many communities continue to use prevention strategies that have not been shown to be effective. Studying processes for promoting the dissemination and high-quality implementation of prevention strategies found to be effective in controlled research trials has become an important focus for prevention science. The Communities That Care prevention operating system provides manuals, tools, training, and technical assistance to activate communities to use advances in prevention science to plan and implement community prevention services to reduce adolescent substance use, delinquency, and related health and behavior problems. This paper describes the rationale, aims, intervention, and design of the Community Youth Development Study, a randomized controlled community trial of the Communities That Care system, and investigates the baseline comparability of the 12 intervention and 12 control communities in the study. Results indicate baseline similarity of the intervention and control communities in levels of adolescent drug use and antisocial behavior prior to the Communities That Care intervention. Strengths and limitations of the study’s design are discussed.