Emotion programs can increase adolescent risk

Some school programs that teach emotion regulation and self‑esteem can paradoxically raise substance use and other risky behaviors among adolescents. Randomized evidence (Hansen et al., 1989) shows an emotion‑focused anti‑drug curriculum produced higher cigarette, alcohol and cannabis use versus no program, illustrating that plausible, well‑funded interventions can backfire at scale. — Policymakers and school districts should treat emotion‑focused curricula as testable interventions with potential for harm and demand rigorous randomized evaluation before large rollouts.