Evaluating Primary Prevention: The California “Winners” Alcohol Program

Abstract

The “Winners” program was a three year primary prevention effort sponsored by the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs. The demonstration attempted to alter drinking behavior through the use of paid mass media messages and community-based educational and organizational strategies. The evaluation design included three communities: a media plus community organization and education site; a media only site; and, a comparison site. This article describes the “Winners” program and presents some results of the evaluation. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for prevention efforts in general.