Life Skills Training (LST) is a multi-component substance abuse prevention curriculum addressing social, psychological, cognitive, and attitudinal factors associated with the use of various legal and illegal substances. LST's essential goal is to improve the development of basic life skills, individual capabilities, and skills related to resistance to social influences that promote substance use. The Life Skill Training program consists of three major components that teach students: (1) general self-management skills, (2) social skills, and (3) information and skills specifically related to drug use. Skills are taught using training techniques such as instruction, demonstration, feedback, reinforcement, and practice. More than a dozens have consistently shown that LST dramatically reduces tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use, reduces poly-drug use, and decreases use of inhalants, narcotics, and hallucinogens. Further, these studies have shown that the program works with a diverse range of adolescents, produces long-lasting results, and is effective when taught by teachers, peer leaders, or health professionals.
