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l-r Kathy Sullivan, Carolina Clements, Jessica Doherty, Ben Flynn, Nellie Hogberg and Maddie Grove.

WHY PREVENTION?

Prevention works … it’s that simple. Research shows that if young people have certain factors in their lives, they are less likely to use drugs, alcohol or engage in other harmful behaviors. These factors include parents, mentoring, success at school, youth leadership opportunities, media campaigns and safe- and drug-free communities.

The Problem:

In 1988, substance abuse among youth surged to alarmingly high levels. And during the 1990s, youth drug use among 8th, 10th and 12 graders nearly doubled. Toward the end of this decade, however, there have been slow, steady declines in some types of youth drug use. Clearly, alcohol remains the number one drug of choice among young people, and drugs such as ecstasy and other club drugs continue to be cause for significant concern.

How Do We Know Prevention Works?

The numbers tell the story. Parents who talk to their children cut in half the chances their children will ever use drugs. Children who have mentors are 46 percent less likely to skip school, have improved academic performance and develop better relationships with peers and family members.

And, a study conducted by Johns Hopkins University showed that 75 percent of young people who were exposed to anti-drug advertising said the exposure would deter their own use of drugs.
We now know that preventing young people from drinking may not only save them from harm in their youth, it may prevent them from embarking on a lifetime of alcohol-and drug related problems. Underage drinking prevention efforts must recognize the alcohol issue may be part of a larger substance abuse prevention effort.

Underage drinking prevention should:

• prevent harm to the individual drinker and
• prevent harm to society.
  
  

  Results include reducing
• the number of criminal events (drinking, DWI, date rape, etc.),
• reducing the amount of harm to individuals (injuries, alcohol overdoses, teen pregnancies, etc.),
• reducing the harm to society (criminal and juvenile justice costs, medical and addiction treatment expenses, etc.).
  
  

  Prevention Strategies
• Providing Relevant and Factual Information (media campaigns)
• Developing Skills (coping skills, peer resistance skills, increased self-esteem)
• Developing Alternatives (positive activities, volunteer services)
• Promoting Community Organization (community partnerships and coalitions)
• Influencing Environment (including promoting culture) by promoting protective factors (increased support systems for families, less availability of alcohol and tobacco)
• Influencing Social Policy (appropriate policies and laws)
  

Prevention Strategies

1. Information Dissemination provides awareness and knowledge of the nature and extent of alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) use, abuse, and addiction and their effects on individuals, families and communities. It also provides information on available prevention programs. It is characterized by one-way communication from the source to the audience, with limited contact between the two. The goal of this strategy is to provide information so that individuals can make decisions about their lifestyles and habits. For example, the Barrington Substance Abuse Task Force produces a monthly newsletter called Helping Hands.

2. Education/Skills Development involves two-way communication and is distinguished from Information Dissemination by the fact that interaction between the educator and the participants is the basis of its activities. This strategy aims to affect critical life and social skills, including decision-making, refusal skills, critical analysis, systematic judgment abilities, coping and communication skills. Examples include: classroom and/or small group sessions (for all ages), parenting and family management classes, peer leader/helper programs, education programs for youth groups, and children of substance abuser groups. In Barrington, there is some prevention education in the middle school health curricula, but there is a need for more evidence based programs starting at a younger age.

3. Alternatives provides for the participation of individuals in activities that exclude ATOD use. The assumption is that constructive and healthy activities offset the attraction to or otherwise meet the needs usually filled by ATOD use and would, therefore, minimize or eliminate such use. The goal of this strategy is to help feel good about oneself and help provide a sense of accomplishment. Examples of activities used for this strategy include: Drug- free dances and parties, leadership activities, community drop-in centers; community service activities; hobbies and physical exercise for good health. Many youth complain of boredom and there is a current project exploring the value of a youth center.

4. Community-Based Process aims to enhance the ability of the community to more effectively provide prevention and treatment services for ATOD problems. Activities in this strategy include organizing, planning, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness of services implementation, coalition building and networking. This strategy allows people to cooperate and communicate for the good of the community. The Task Force is a prime example of this prevention strategy.

5. Environmental Change promotes change in conditions which are having a negative impact upon people or promotes positive protective factors in the community. The aim of this strategy is to identify, analyze, and change specific environmental conditions.

6. Social Policy establishes or changes written and unwritten community standards, codes, and attitudes, thereby influencing incidence and prevalence of ATOD use and abuse in the general population. This strategy is divided into two subcategories to permit distinction between activities which center on legal and regulatory initiatives and those which relate to service and action-oriented initiatives. This strategy encompasses a range of efforts from changing local, state or federal laws and promoting new norms in families or neighborhoods to changing policies in organizations such as schools, work places, and professional or fraternal organizations. The task force has advocated for improved legislation and changes in high school substance abuse policies.

(None of these strategies works well alone. The most effective community prevention efforts use multiple strategies as part of a comprehensive plan. Health care professionals are important partners in the community prevention effort. It is important to build alliances and work with others.)

For More Information please contact:Kathleen Sullivan

KSullivan@barrington.ri.gov