About The Study: In this cohort study of California public high schools, sustained availability of a dedicated health course was associated with modestly lower prevalence in several common forms of adolescent substance use. These findings suggest that sustained, dedicated health coursework may be a scalable component of school-based substance use prevention.
Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Brennan Davis, PhD, email bdavis39@calpoly.edu.
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(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.22676)
Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.
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About JAMA Network Open: JAMA Network Open is an online-only open access general medical journal from the JAMA Network. On weekdays, the journal publishes peer-reviewed clinical research and commentary in more than 40 medical and health subject areas. Every article is free online from the day of publication.
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