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Policy

In recent years prevention experts have begun to recognize the importance of addressing the social and environmental conditions that give rise to substance use. In particular, research has focused on alcohol availability and its impact on various health and safety problems, including general public consumption, crime, traffic crashes, and youth access to alcohol; these findings have led to a new focus on policy as a prevention strategy. "Policies" can be broadly defined as "standards for behavior that are formalized to some degree [i.e., written], and embodied in rules, regulations, and operations procedures." Government regulations are one type of such policies, but they can also include nongovernmental regulations put into place at institutions like schools, colleges, liquor stores, bars, restaurants, and workplaces. Ultimately, policy can be used to affect environmental change, thereby reducing substance use.

Specific resources contained on this site include the following:

Policy: A Strategy for Prevention Practitioners. A 22-page paper
on policy: What it means as a prevention strategy and how you can incorporate it into your work as a prevention practitioner. It addresses:
• the benefits of policy as a prevention strategy
• guidelines for making policy at the local level
• policies that restrict access and availability
• policies that target pricing
• policies that limit the location and density of retail outlets
• policies that deter citizens from breaking the law
• policies that place restrictions on use in public places
• policies that restrict marketing

Policy Fact Sheet and Illustration (Webpage, Acrobat 2 pages) This document describes ways in which policy is used in substance abuse prevention, plus an illustration—a real-life example of policy in action.

Policy Video. Created by CSAP’s Northeast CAPT, this video features a youth-led policy effort in Gloucester, MA.

This video is accessible using windows media player 9 series for Windows 98 2nd ed., Me, and 2000. Click here to download it. Click here to read transcript.

Policy Resources. This document contains a list of resources—both online and in print—designed to help you implement policy strategies in your community.