๐Ÿ›๏ธ Verified NIH Record โ€ข Updated 2026-04-23

The Canadian Underage Substance Use Prevention Trial (NCT04198974)

๐Ÿ”ต Active, Not Recruiting Observational / Diagnostic ๐Ÿง  Behavioral & Psychological Program Sponsor: St. Justine's Hospital

๐Ÿฉบ Plain-English Summary (8th-Grade Level)

Despite having made some strides with respect to reducing adolescent drinking rates, illicit substance use and substance use disorders (SUDs) remain significantly above national targets for health promotion and disease prevention in Canada and the United States. Now, more than ever, there is a pressing need for effective substance abuse prevention in Canada, particularly for those most at risk of developing substance use problems including prescription drug misuse. Clearly, new approaches to prevention (with lower numbers needed to treat) are needed and which translate new research on addiction vulnerability to personalised prevention and early intervention. The PreVenture Program involves brief cognitive-behavioural interventions targeting personality traits from a neurocognitive perspective. While the personality-targeted approach has been shown to be effective in reducing most substance use behaviors, it has yet to be evaluated for its impact on uptake of prescription drug misuse in adolescents. The Canadian Underage Substance use Prevention (CUSP) Trial aims to evaluate the long-term effects of a personality-targeted school-based prevention program on delaying the onset of drug and alcohol use in adolescence over three years across Canada. This is a hybrid effectiveness \[E\] and implementation-facilitation \[IF\] trial on delaying the onset of drug and alcohol use in adolescence. In the \[E\] part, the effects of a personalized prevention program will be tested against usual school-based prevention curricula. PreVenture is delivered through a TtT implementation model with or without \[IF\], e.g. with ongoing supervision and web-based support. The \[IF\] package is designed to support long-term sustainability of PreVenture after a community accesses PreVenture training.

Who can join: Review the eligibility criteria below.

Location: University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus โ€” Kelowna, British Columbia

Age range: 15 Years to 16 Years

๐Ÿงช Interventions in This Study

  • PreVenture Training (PTtT) (BEHAVIORAL)
  • PreVenture Training+Implementation Facilitation (BEHAVIORAL)

๐Ÿ“‹ "Do I Qualify?" โ€” 1-Minute Self Screener

Instant Checklist

Full eligibility criteria are available on the official NIH protocol. View the criteria โ†—

๐Ÿ“ All Participating Trial Locations (4 Sites)

  • University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus โ€” Kelowna, British Columbia
  • Dalhousie University โ€” Halifax, Nova Scotia
  • Center for Mental Health and Addicitions โ€” Toronto, Ontario
  • CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center โ€” Montreal, Quebec

๐Ÿ’ฐ Cost, Insurance & Patient Rights

  • 100% Free Items: The investigational treatment and protocol-required procedures are supplied at zero cost by the sponsor.
  • Routine Patient Care: Under federal law (ACA ยง 2709) and many state statutes, routine care costs are covered during participation.
  • Voluntary Participation: You may withdraw at any time without affecting your standard medical care.

๐Ÿ’ก How to Participate

  1. Check the checklist above to see if you may qualify.
  2. Review the official NIH record below to find the coordinating site.
  3. Ask about the visit schedule, what is covered at no cost, and any travel support.
  4. Confirm with your own doctor before making a decision.
๐Ÿ›๏ธ View Official NIH Record โ†—