So, what does it take to create a successful prevention program? Well, it takes several things. First, you need to look at both the individual and the environment. Individual approaches focus on helping people develop the knowledge, attitudes, and skills they need to change their behavior. Environmental approaches focus on creating an environment that makes it easier for people to act in healthy ways. Research tells us that the most effective prevention programs are those that incorporate both these approaches. In other words, it’s not enough to just convince a teenager that smoking is harmful or gross or provide him with the skills to resist peer pressure; you also need to remove the cigarette machine from the community center where he hangs out after school.

But what if you’re looking to change more than just one person, or one group of people’s, behavior? The best way to effect sweeping change is to implement multiple strategies, in multiple settings, all working toward a few common goals. For example, in addition to establishing a policy that limits the availability of cigarettes to teens, you would also look for ways to enforce these new standards. And instead of targeting your smoking campaign at just teenagers, try targeting their parents as well. Remember, no single program has to do it all. The key is to work in a coordinated way with other agencies, programs, and initiatives so that you can collectively achieve your outcomes.

Finally, successful programs are well designed and include evaluation components. Historically, program developers have paid more attention to the “what” than to the “why.” Now it’s time to ask yourself: What outcomes do I want to achieve? What assumptions do I think will get us there? How can we build a bridge that connects these outcomes and assumptions?

Based on these key elements for success, CSAP’s Northeast CAPT developed a prevention framework that presents seven effective prevention approaches (1), culled from CSAP’s review of the prevention literature. Some of these strategies have more research to support them than others do, but all of them are evidence-based—and all are more effective when used in conjunction with other strategies.

During the remainder of this course, we will examine the first five of these strategies: policy, enforcement, communications, collaboration, and education. Each of these strategies has the potential to create both environmental and individual change. Communities should examine their own local situations and look for ways to combine these strategies to create effective prevention programs. We will begin by looking at policy—the first, and perhaps most effective, strategy.

You have completed Module 1.
Please proceed to Activity 1: Meet the Group.

References

1. Gardner, S. E. and Brounstein, P. J. (2001). Principles of Substance Abuse Prevention. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Division of Knowledge Development and Evaluation.