Substance Abuse and Violence Prevention: Multiple Youth Programs Raise Questions of Efficiency and Effectiveness

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed its work on federal substance-abuse and violence-prevention programs for youth, focusing on: (1) the information available about substance abuse and violence prevention programs and the federal investment in them; (2) what is known about the effectiveness of federally funded programs in reducing youth substance abuse and violence; and (3) improving the federal effort by focusing more on accountability and results.