Overview of Methods: Cost- Effectiveness, Cost-Benefits, and Cost-Offsets of Prevention

A review of the health services literature reveals that there are relatively few cost-effectiveness studies of substance abuse prevention. In contrast, a large number of cost-effectiveness studies of medical treatment have been published over the last two decades (e.g., Hurley 1990). In the field of substance abuse treatment there are a number of studies evaluating the cost-effectiveness of treatment (Cartwright and Kaple 1991). The field of substance abuse prevention research is a relatively new field (Clayton and Cattarello 1991). Also, there may be a perception among prevention researchers and prevention program administrators that prevention programs are cost-effective. These reasons may help explain the relative paucity of prevention cost-effectiveness literature in substance abuse. This suggests that more work needs to be done if researchers are to provide decisionmakers with the arguments that prevention interventions are worth their cost.