Prevention needs a comprehensive, communitywide approach

Although schools can and should play a role in prevention education, Join Together concluded they "should not be relied upon to act as the principal provider of general prevention programs." What works best, they said, is a comprehensive community prevention strategy that includes parents and other social institutions. Schools should also work with parents and these institutions to identify and support students who exhibit early behavior patterns that might be precursors to adolescent substance abuse.

Communities can help prevention efforts by implementing strategies that help reduce underage drinking, such as raising alcohol taxes (the five states with the highest beer taxes have much lower rates of teen binge drinking); tightening the age and terms of drivers' licenses for adolescents; adopting social host laws where adults who serve alcohol to minors are held accountable; controlling the number of alcohol outlets in a particular area; and doing frequent compliance checks to deter sales to minors.

Instead of wasting time and money on ineffective prevention strategies, Join Together recommends that schools adopt proven prevention programs that are researched-based, involve parents and community, offer teacher training and support, and use interactive teaching methods. They also suggest that teachers have easy access to prevention materials, and such information be supplemented in after-school and extra-curricular activities. Ideally, schools should also offer opportunities where older students are trained to help teach younger students about alcohol and drug abuse. Finally, when teachers and administrators have substance abuse prevention education specified as part of their job, their performance should be included in their formal evaluations.

"As the leading publisher of research-based prevention programs, Hazelden knows from experience how effective such programs are in reducing adolescent alcohol and drug use," said Marty Harding, prevention specialist at Hazelden. "But it takes a solid commitment from communities and schools to provide the time and resources necessary so such strategies can be put into action. Select the programs carefully and make sure teachers are given enough training and time to implement them. And be sure to involve parents. When parents, schools, and community join forces and send consistent messages to our young people, it empowers them to make responsible choices, and amazing things can happen."

Go to www.jointogether.org (click on "Get Involved" and "Resources") to access the complete report, "Prevention Education in America's Schools: Findings and Recommendations from a Survey of Educators."



Alive & Free is a health column that offers information to help prevent and address addiction and substance abuse problems. It is provided by Hazelden, a nonprofit agency based in Center City, Minn., that offers a wide range of information and services on addiction and recovery. For more resources, call Hazelden at 1-800-257-7800 or check its Web site at www.hazelden.org.