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Your topic and then define it in the first sentence if you can. Say something important about the topic.

References

Substance abuse prevention

Drug use levels in the U.S.

Primary prevention involves actions taken by individuals or groups to prevent predictable problems, protect existing states of health and healthy functioning, and promote desired states of being and functioning within supportive or benign physical and socio-cultural environments. Primary prevention measures can be directed towards health promotion activities involving educational and psychosocial interventions in different settings. Screening and brief interventions in primary health care, and activities intending to reduce further disease-related conditions and harm for the individual and the society are other measures to be used for secondary and tertiary prevention of psychoactive substance use. Generally, prevention activities are more successful when different interventions are coordinated and sustained over a number of years and if different stakeholders are mobilized and involved.

The risk and protective factors are the primary targets of effective prevention programs used in family, school, and community settings. The goal of these programs is to build new and strengthen existing protective factors and reverse or reduce risk factors in youth. Prevention programs are usually designed to reach target populations in their primary setting. However, in recent years it has become more common to find programs for any given target group in a variety of settings, such as holding a family-based program in a school or a church. In addition to setting, prevention programs can also be described by the audience for which they are designed: Universal programs are designed for the general population, such as all students in a school. Selective programs target groups at risk or subsets of the general population, such as poor school achievers or children of drug abusers. Indicated programs are designed for people already experimenting with drugs.

Family Based Prevention Programs

Prevention programs can strengthen protective factors among young children by teaching parents better family communication skills, appropriate discipline styles, firm and consistent rule enforcement, and other family management approaches. Research confirms the benefits of parents providing consistent rules and discipline, talking to children about drugs, monitoring their activities, getting to know their friends, understanding their problems and concerns, and being involved in their learning. The importance of the parent-child relationship continues through adolescence and beyond.

Community Preventing Programs

Prevention programs work at the community level with civic, religious, law enforcement, and other government organizations to enhance anti-drug norms and pro-social behaviors. Many programs coordinate prevention efforts across settings to communicate consistent messages through school, work, religious institutions, and the media. Research has shown that programs that reach youth through multiple settings can strongly impact community norms.Community-based programs also typically include development of policies or enforcement of regulations, mass media efforts, and community-wide awareness programs.

Millions of Americans currently participate in Red Ribbon Week activities, according to the National Family Partnership (NFP)—the Red Ribbon campaign’s national organizer. The Drug Enforcement Administration, a Federal partner in Red Ribbon Week, describes it as “the most far-reaching and well-known drug prevention event in America.” Through the efforts of the NFP, other national organizations, Federal and State agencies, and communities, Red Ribbon Week has become more than a call to action. It has grown to be a unifying symbol of family and community dedication to preventing the use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs among youth.