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Preventing Drugs from the youth Drug use prevention programmes are effective when they respond to the needs of a community, involve all the relevant sectors and are based on scientific evidence; effective programmes should also incorporate strong monitoring and evaluation components. Such programmes are also cost effective. Preventing Drugs amongst Schools: For a long time schools have been an important setting for UNODC to reach many children and adolescents with prevention activities. Evidence-based drug education based on life skills that offer personal, social, resistance and communication skills, normative education about how many of the peers in the adolescent age group actually have tried alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs (which typically is a lot less than adolescents think it is!), as well as information about the short-term effects of drugs through a series of session offered by trained teachers who use interactive techniques to engage the young people are very effective. It is important that schools have a written policy on alcohol, tobacco and substance use that covers all students and staff working in schools. Elements of Effective Prevention Programs: There is a multitude of effective substance prevention interventions that may have different areas of focus and can be implemented in a variety of settings. Interventions can involve the family, school, and community and may provide substance abuse prevention for an individual or a population of youth by focusing on environmental and community factors and policies, developmental factors, or skill development. The National Institute on Drugs (NID) has identified 16 key principles for prevention programs based on risk and protective factors, the type of program, and the delivery of the program. Early Intervention: Intervening early—before high school—is critical. The data suggest that patterns of substance abuse become worse in the high school years. Individuals who begin using alcohol or tobacco when they are very young are more likely to abuse them later in life, when it becomes much more difficult to quit. |