Drug Abuse Prevention Principles and Program Delivery

Prevention Principles

Key principles for parents, educators, and community leaders in planning and delivering research-based drug abuse prevention programs.

Risk Factors and Protective Factors

• PRINCIPLE 1: Prevention programs should enhance protective factors and reverse or reduce risk factors.

  • The risk of drug abuse depends on the relationship between the number and type of risk factors (e.g., deviant behaviors) and protective factors (e.g., parental support).
  • The impact of risk and protective factors varies with age. Family risk factors are more impactful on younger children, while peer influence is more significant for adolescents.
  • Early intervention targeting risk factors such as aggressive behavior and poor self-control is more effective than later intervention.
  • The effect of risk and protective factors can differ based on age, gender, ethnicity, culture, and environment.

• PRINCIPLE 2: Prevention programs should address all forms of drug abuse, whether alone or in combination.

  • This includes underage use of legal drugs (e.g., alcohol, tobacco), illegal drugs (e.g., marijuana, heroin), and inappropriate use of legally obtained substances (e.g., inhalants, prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs).

• PRINCIPLE 3: Prevention programs should address the specific drug abuse problems in the local community.

  • Target modifiable risk factors and strengthen identified protective factors.

• PRINCIPLE 4: Prevention programs should be tailored to address risks specific to population characteristics such as age, gender, and ethnicity.

Prevention Planning: Family Programs

• PRINCIPLE 5: Family-based prevention programs should enhance family bonding and relationships.
  • Include parenting skills training, practice in developing and enforcing family policies on substance abuse, and drug education.
  • Family bonding is crucial and can be strengthened through skills training in parent supportiveness, parent-child communication, and parental involvement.
  • Parental monitoring and supervision are critical, enhanced through rule-setting, monitoring techniques, praise for good behavior, and consistent discipline.
  • Drug education for parents reinforces children's learning and facilitates family discussions about substance abuse.
  • Brief, family-focused interventions can positively change parenting behaviors to reduce later drug abuse risks.

School Programs

• PRINCIPLE 6: Prevention programs can intervene as early as preschool to address risk factors like aggressive behavior, poor social skills, and academic difficulties.

• PRINCIPLE 7: Programs for elementary school children should improve academic and social-emotional learning.

  • Address risk factors like early aggression, academic failure, and school dropout.
  • Focus on:
    • Self-control
    • Emotional awareness
    • Communication
    • Social problem-solving
    • Academic support, especially in reading

• PRINCIPLE 8: Programs for middle/junior high and high school students should increase academic and social competence.

  • Focus on:
    • Study habits and academic support
    • Communication
    • Peer relationships
    • Self-efficacy and assertiveness
    • Drug resistance skills
    • Reinforcement of anti-drug attitudes
    • Strengthening personal commitments against drug abuse

Community Programs

• PRINCIPLE 9: Prevention programs targeting general populations at key transition points (e.g., middle school) can benefit even high-risk families/children.

  • These interventions avoid labeling and promote school/community bonding.

• PRINCIPLE 10: Community programs combining two or more effective programs (e.g., family-based and school-based) can be more effective than a single program.

• PRINCIPLE 11: Community programs in multiple settings (schools, clubs, faith-based organizations, media) are most effective when delivering consistent, community-wide messages.

Prevention Program Delivery

• PRINCIPLE 12: When adapting programs to local needs, communities should retain core elements of the original research-based intervention.

  • These include:
    • Structure (program organization)
    • Content (information, skills, strategies)
    • Delivery (adaptation, implementation, evaluation)

• PRINCIPLE 13: Prevention programs should be long-term with repeated interventions (booster programs).

  • Benefits from middle school programs diminish without high school follow-up.

• PRINCIPLE 14: Prevention programs should include teacher training on classroom management practices.

  • These help foster positive behavior, achievement, academic motivation, and school bonding.

• PRINCIPLE 15: Prevention programs are most effective when using interactive techniques.

  • Examples include peer discussion groups and parent role-playing.

• PRINCIPLE 16: Research-based prevention programs can be cost-effective.

  • For each dollar invested in prevention, there can be a savings of up to $$10 in treatment for alcohol or other substance abuse.