Long-term effects of a community-based intervention: 5-year follow-up of ‘Clubs against Drugs’

AIMS: To evaluate long-term effects of a multi-component community-based club drug prevention programme. DESIGN: A pre- (2003) and post-intervention study (2004 and 2008) design. SETTING: High-risk licensed premises in central Stockholm, Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: The intervention programme, 'Clubs against Drugs', included community mobilization, drug-training for doormen and other staff, policy work, increased enforcement, environmental changes and media advocacy and public relations work. MEASUREMENT: The indicator chosen for this study was the frequency of doormen intervention towards obviously drug-intoxicated guests at licensed premises. Professional male actors (i.e. pseudopatrons) were trained to act impaired by cocaine/amphetamines while trying to enter licensed premises with doormen. An expert panel standardized the scene of drug intoxication. Each attempt was monitored by two male observers. FINDINGS: At the follow-up study in 2008 the doormen intervened in 65.5% of the attempts (n=55), a significant improvement compared to 27.0% (n=48) at the first follow-up in 2004 and to 7.5% (n=40) at baseline in 2003. CONCLUSION: The 'Clubs against Drugs' community-based intervention programme, a systems approach to prevention, appears to increase the frequency and effectiveness of club doormen's interventions regarding obviously drug-intoxicated guests.