Prevention
MAPPA believes that it is important for our legislative leaders to learn more about the field of alcohol, tobacco,
and other drug prevention. The following bulleted points present a basic overview of the current state of
prevention:
- Prevention is the creation of conditions, opportunities and experiences that encourage and develop
healthy people. It aims to forestall undesirable behavior or render it impossible rather than taking
corrective action later. Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) prevention works to create conditions
that prevent, reduce, and delay the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs by youth. Based on more
than twenty years of research, a science of ATOD prevention has now emerged. Science-based
prevention is grounded in a clear theoretical foundation that has been carefully implemented and
evaluated.
- Effective prevention strategies focus on both the individual and the environment. Individually oriented
strategies seek to socialize, guide, or instruct children in ways that increase their resistance to health
risks. Environmental strategies strive to support or thwart the norms,availability, and regulations
concerning ATOD use in the shared environment.
- Prevention professionals work in every county in Maryland. Each county has a prevention program
based in the county health department,executive's office, or a non-profit organization. Most often,
prevention coordinators are the lead workers in county prevention programs. Youth, parents, law
enforcement, the schools, other agencies, the faith community, and businesses are essential
partners with prevention professionals in implementing comprehensive strategies to prevent, reduce,
and delay use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Prevention professionals work to engage the
community in identifying the problems of youth substance abuse and to provide them with the skills,
resources and assistance necessary for them to address the problems successfully.
- Effective prevention programs are cost-effective. “For every dollar spent on drug use prevention,
communities can save 4 to 5 dollars in costs for drug abuse treatment and counseling.” (Preventing
Drug Use Among Children and Adolescents, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1999).
To learn how to tell Congress to keep prevention as part of health care reform, click here.
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