Adverse Childhood Experiences

Incorporating ACEs into Substance Abuse Prevention Efforts

Because ACEs are common and strongly related to a variety of substance abuse and related behavioral health outcomes, prevention of ACES and early identification of those who experience ACEs could prevent a number of negative consequences and have a significant impact on a range of critical health problems. Specifically, practitioners can thus strengthen their substance abuse prevention efforts by:

• Collecting state- and county-level ACE data to drive local decision making (e.g., by incorporating ACEs s indicators into Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance Systems)
• Increasing awareness of ACEs among state- and community-level substance abuse prevention practitioners, emphasizing the relevance of ACEs to multiple behavioral health disciplines
• Including ACEs among the primary risk and protective factors considered when engaging in substance abuse prevention planning efforts
• Selecting and implementing programs, policies, and strategies designed to address ACEs; including efforts focusing on reducing intergenerational transmission of ACEs
• Using ACEs research and local ACEs data to identify groups of people who may be at higher risk for substance abuse and related behavioral health problems

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