This pre and post-interventional study was done to address the health problem on the increasing number of cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking and drug use in the high school through determining the effect of drug awareness seminar on the knowledge, attitudes and drug resistance skills of grade 9 students in Tampilisan National High School, Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte. Two hundred ninety-three (293) respondents were included in this study. The duration of the seminar was 2 days. A pre-intervention exam was given before the seminar, while a post-intervention exam was given immediately after the seminar and 2 months after using a self-administered questionnaire. Results show that although there was an increase in the number of students who passed the exam from 290 (98.97%) during the pre-intervention phase to 292 (99.65%) immediately after, still it decreased to 287 (97.95%) students who passed the exam 2 months after. Looking at their mean scores, from a pre-intervention score of 11 it increased to 11.31 at post-intervention 1 and increased slightly to 11.56 at post-intervention 2 which means that they already possess good knowledge regarding drug abuse and prevention. Therefore, the seminar was effective in improving further the knowledge of the respondents but it was of little relevance in the study. On the other hand, in terms of the respondents’ attitudes, majority of the items concerning disagreement with the commonly abused drugs or substances by adolescents had more than 50% of respondents showing positive response toward these attitudes in the pre-intervention phase and further increased immediately after and two months after the intervention. Wilcoxon results showed that the respondents have weaker anti-drug attitudes toward alcohol but stronger anti-drug attitudes toward cigarette, rugby, shabu and marijuana. Therefore, the seminar was effective in improving further the respondents’ attitudes concerning disagreement with the commonly abused drugs or substances. Likewise, in terms of the respondents’ drug resistance skills, majority of the items concerning refusal of the commonly abused drugs or substances by adolescents had more than 50% of respondents showing positive response toward these drug resistance skills in the pre-intervention phase and further increased immediately after and two months after the intervention. Wilcoxon results showed that the respondents have poorer drug resistance skills toward cigarette but stronger drug resistance skills toward alcohol, rugby, shabu and marijuana. Therefore, the seminar was effective in improving further the respondents’ drug resistance skills concerning refusal of the commonly abused drugs or substances.

Keyword: Drug awareness seminar Drug abuse and prevention Grade 9 students