Policy
In recent years prevention experts have begun to recognize the
importance of addressing the social and environmental conditions
that give rise to substance use. In particular, research has focused
on alcohol availability and its impact on various health and safety
problems, including general public consumption, crime, traffic
crashes, and youth access to alcohol; these findings have led
to a new focus on policy as a prevention strategy. "Policies"
can be broadly defined as "standards for behavior that are
formalized to some degree [i.e., written], and embodied in rules,
regulations, and operations procedures." Government regulations
are one type of such policies, but they can also include nongovernmental
regulations put into place at institutions like schools, colleges,
liquor stores, bars, restaurants, and workplaces. Ultimately,
policy can be used to affect environmental change, thereby reducing
substance use. Specific resources on the Policy StrategySite:
Policy:
A Strategy for Prevention Practitioners —A 22-page
paper on policy: what it means as a prevention strategy and how
you can incorporate it into your work as a prevention practitioner.
It addresses Benefits of Policy, Guidelines for Making Policy
at the Local Level, Policies that Restrict Access and Availability,
Policies that Target the Prices of Alcohol and Tobacco Products,
Policies that Limit the Location and Density of Retail Outlets,
Policies that Deter Citizens from Breaking the Law, Policies that
Place Restrictions on Use in Public Places, Policies that Restrict
Marketing of Alcohol and Tobacco in Public Places.
Policy
Fact Sheet and Illustration—(Webpage,
Acrobat 2 pages) A policy fact sheet
that describes ways in which policy is used in substance abuse
prevention, plus an illustration—a real-life example of policy
in action.
Policy
video features a youth led policy effort in Gloucester,
MA. This video is accessible using windows media player 9 series
for Windows 98 2nd ed., Me, and 2000. Click
here to download it.
Policy
Resources —A policy resources
section
Policy
video transcript —Transcript of a video, featuring
the Gloucester Prevention Network, created by CSAP's Northeast
CAPT and used in trainings.
Multiple
Strategies video features an agency that uses multiple strategies
as a resource in Gloucester, MA. This video is accessible using
windows media player 9 series for Windows 98 2nd ed., Me, and 2000.
Click
here to download it.
Multiple
Strategies video transcript —Transcript of a
video, featuring the Gloucester Prevention Network, created by
CSAP's Northeast CAPT and used in trainings.
CSAP's
Northeast CAPT Prevention Framework
- Key elements used to support the application of science-based
substance abuse prevention programs and strategies at the regional,
state and local levels. This framework guides our work by defining
major areas of consideration in science-based prevention providing
a broad overview of the theoretical foundation of a comprehensive
prevention approach guiding practitioners through a clear program
planning process. This diagram lays out both the elements and
the processes necessary for effective prevention approaches.
Prevention:
What's Science Got to Do with It? —(Webpage, Acrobat 24 pages)
A digest that provides information on all seven of the
prevention strategies.
Improving
the Larger Environment—(Webpage,
Acrobat 16 pages)
An overview that provides more information on environmental
change as an effective approach to prevention.
