1980
Curriculum Development Began
Ray developed the first version of the Lifestyle Risk Reduction Model and began curriculum development.
1983
PRI was founded Ray Daugherty and Terry O’Bryan.
1984
Our doors officially opened.
PRI’s first program, Talking With Your Kids About Alcohol (TWYKAA), was rooted in Ray’s work for the Kentucky Alcoholism Council (KAC) between 1978 and 1983. An evaluation conducted by KAC and Norman VanTubergen, Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky found significant reductions in the drinking of adults going through the program and reductions in the drinking of their teens within six months.
Using a research-based approach grounded solidly in the gentle, non-judgmental approach that communication researchers find to be persuasive in changing attitudes and behavior, the PRI program found a place in communities across the United States and beyond. Instructors quickly started requesting versions of the program for diverse audiences such as college students, military personnel, and DUI offender classes. The program soon became the Talking About Alcohol and Drugs Series.
1987
A little recognition…
PRI programs “Talking With Your Kids About Alcohol” and “Talking With Your Students About Alcohol” were chosen among America’s Top 20 Prevention Programs by the US Office of Substance Abuse Prevention. PRI expanded curricula to include drugs, emphasizing widely applicable principles.
1990
Technology Advances
Color slides replaced overhead transparencies for program delivery, and the first video media was introduced for instructor use! Our programs have truly stood the test of time and technology…
1994
One Program. Two Languages.
After interviewing instructors, a consulting firm highlighted two points. First, instructors said the partnership forged between them and PRI’s training and support team is what makes everything work. Second, instructors emphasized the program was designed for a lifetime; it was lifesaving and life enhancing. Putting those together, “It is PRI and Me and we are working together to enhance and save lives.” Our signature program was renamed “Prime For Life.”
The same year, the program was released in Spanish for the first time.
1998
Global Expansion
In 1998, Prime For Life was adopted by the Swedish military, expanding the program outside the US for the first time. This trend would continue in the coming years, with four branches of the US military adopting the program for worldwide use from 2005-2019, and several other countries implementing.
1998
Lifestyle Risk Reduction Gets a Book
Ray Daugherty and Carl Leukefeld published the first book on the Lifestyle Risk Reduction Model: Preventing Alcohol and Drug Problems Across the Lifespan, Plenum Press.
2009
Prime Solutions® treatment program was created
Prime For Life® was added to the National Registry of Effective Programs and Practices (NREPP)* and our treatment program, Prime Solutions®, was created. Due to Prime For Life’s effectiveness, instructors asked us to develop a companion program to enhance the treatment experience. Together with leading authorities Carlo DiClemente, Ph.D., Theresa Moyers, Ph.D., and Gerald Shulman, M.A., the team developed Prime Solutions®, an evidence-derived program designed to help counselors more easily and effectively implement evidence-based practices in addiction treatment.
*Note: NREPP was discontinued by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in 2018 and has yet to be replaced by a similar system.
2015
Say hello to the PFL App!
With the release of Prime For Life, Version 9, came another advance in technology and delivery: The Prime For Life App! Since 2015, PRI has continued to update and improve the App, striving toward ease of delivery for instructors and easy understanding for program participants.
2020
Virtual Options Abound
With 2020 came both challenges and opportunities for growth. We ushered in an era of virtual delivery of Prime For Life via Zoom and other platforms, developed an online New Instructor Training course, and expanded myPrime use to fit the needs of our partners and their participants.
2026
New Look, New Era
New look. New(ish) name. More options than ever.
We’re thrilled to launch a new brand as Prime For Life by Prevention Research Institute, growing the name that so many recognize and expanding to meet new audiences with exciting new program and tool options coming soon!
