Research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) says the best prevention efforts are:
►Are long-term.
► Use interactive methods and appropriate “booster sessions” to reinforce earlier program lessons and skills.
► Combine two or more effective programs, such as family- and school-based efforts. This can be even more effective than a single program alone.
► Address the type of drug problem that exists in the local community (such as rampant opioid abuse), target risk factors that can be changed and strengthen “protective factors” such as healthy relationships with family and friends.
► May be tailored toward the age, gender, race or ethnicity of the kids being targeted. Various groups can face different risks.
► Carry similar messages in difference spaces: schools, home, community.
► Begin long before high school, reaching children — and their families — when they’re young.
Sources: National Institute on Drug Abuse, U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
