North American drug prevention programmes: are they feasible in European cultures and contexts?

Some commentators argue that programmes developed in North America (Canada and the US) are unlikely to work in European countries, due to differing cultural contexts and because most of the evidence for their effectiveness comes from North America. This Thematic paper presents experiences of adapting and implementing four innovative and proven North American drug prevention programmes in Europe, showing the clear potential of transferring such programmes and avoiding the cliché of culture as a barrier to implementation.