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NREPP SAMHSA'S National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices
IMPORTANT LEGACY NOTICE: Legacy Programs have not been reviewed by the current National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP). The programs in this database were reviewed only under the previous National Registry of Effective Prevention Programs system. This section is intended to be used for historical reference only. If you would like more information about a program listed here, please contact the program developer directly. The program developer of each Legacy Program listed here agreed to post program information on this site.

Project STAR: Students Taught Awareness and Resistance

Brief Program Description

Project STAR, also known as the Midwestern Prevention Project (MPP), is a comprehensive, community-based drug abuse intervention program that uses school, mass media, parent education, community organization, and health policy programming to prevent and reduce tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and other drug use by adolescents. Developed by the University of Southern California, the project first offers a series of classroom-based sessions for the school program during middle school that continue with the parent, media, community, and policy components. Project successes include the net reduction of 40 to 70 percent in drug use, including up to 40 percent in daily smoking among participants in the program thus far through early adulthood.

Contact Information

For indepth information on this program, please use the contact listed below.

Program Developer

Karen Bernstein
Project Manager
University of Southern California
Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
1441 Eastlake Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90089-1976
E-mail: nriggs@usc.edu

In April 1999, this program was designated as an Effective Program under SAMHSA's previous National Registry of Effective Prevention Programs system.