A community-based prevention system, such as that found in coalitions, can reduce adolescent alcohol and other drug use according to a study in the September 2009 issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

The old saying, “it takes a community…” is very applicable to the prevention of teen substance abuse. Many sectors of the community, parents, educators, police, judges, social workers, ministers and faith-based organizations, medical personnel, media and other business professionals, etc., should be involved in this effort. Why? They all have varying influence on the lives of young people. They all have different levels of expertise to contribute. They all bring different perspectives for analyzing problems and implementing effective practices. Prevention specialists need and require the help of the community – the environment.

Coalition prevention systems are comprised of diverse community stakeholders providing expertise and resources that mobilize and empower communities to prevent risky teen behavior. To deter, delay and detect risky teen behavior, coalitions may focus on one of two health models. Whereas the Medical Model intervenes with individuals, the Public Health Model intervenes with groups, populations (e.g. teens) – population-based approaches are environmental approaches. The Coalition for a Drug-free Greater Cincinnati (CDFGC) uses the environmental approach.

The environmental approach reaches larger numbers of a population through reduced cost and effort. Environmental prevention consists of those evidence-based practices used to change the context in which substance use and abuse occurs. Environmental strategies incorporate prevention efforts aimed at changing or influencing community conditions, standards, institutions, structures, systems and policies. Such approaches potentially reach entire populations and reduce collective risk. They create lasting changes in community norms and systems, producing widespread behavior change and, in time, reducing problems for entire communities.

When working with teens with either approach, preventing risky teen behavior is critical because early initiation of risky behaviors increases the chance for health-related diseases and problems later in life. For example, a previous study has found that 45 percent of adults who began drinking alcohol by age 14 (the CDFGC’s Student Drug Use Survey indicates local teen alcohol use begins around age 13) became dependent on alcohol at some point in their lives, compared to 9 percent of those who began drinking at age 21 or older.

The CDFGC surveys some 50-60,000 7^th-12^th graders biannually and implements environmental strategies to prevent and reduce middle and high school student substance use. We’re working to help maintain healthy youth in our community.