The Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention for Children and Youth supports individuals, families, schools and communities to raise healthy, drug-free children and youth in King County. It promotes health by eliminating the causes of illness, injury or death.

Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention integrates a variety of research-based prevention approaches, including the risk factor-protective factor model, assets model and resiliency model. Most services are provided through contracts with community-based agencies, organizations and schools. Services reach diverse populations such as ethnic/racial minorities, gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered populations, and rural residents.

For more than 20 years, Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention for Children and Youth has received federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant funds through the State of Washington Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse. The aim is to plan and deliver a broad array of alcohol and other drug prevention strategies. Researchers have proven the following strategies and activities to be effective, especially combination:

• Information/Dissemination: This strategy consists of providing information on the nature of alcohol and other drug use, abuse, and addiction and their effects on individuals, families, and communities. Also, this strategy attempts to increase perceptions of risk. Additionally, it provides information on prevention policies, programs, and services. It helps set and reinforce norms (for example, the guidelines that under-age drinking and selling drugs will not be tolerated in a particular neighborhood). This strategy includes:
  • Clearinghouse/information resource centers
  • Resource directories
  • Media campaigns
  • Speaking engagements
  • Health promotion events like health fairs, conferences, meetings, seminars, Drug Free Washington Month activities
  • Information lines and hot lines
    
    
• Education: This strategy aims to enhance critical life and social skills, including decision-making, refusal skills, critical analysis (for example, of media messages), and systematic and judgmental abilities. This strategy includes:
  • Parenting and family management
  • Ongoing classroom and small group sessions ("KLUE" groups for children living in homes with chemical dependency)
  • Peer leader/helper programs ("Partners in Prevention")
  • Youth groups
  • Mentoring programs
  • Preschool alcohol and other drug prevention programs
    
    
• Alternatives: This strategy provides youth with constructive and healthy activities that exclude alcohol and other drug use. These activities offset the attraction to, or otherwise meet the needs usually filled by, alcohol/drug use. This strategy includes:
  • Youth and adult leadership activities
  • Community drop-in centers
  • Community service activities
  • Outward bound/challenge/rope courses
  • Recreational programs
    
    
• Problem identification and referral: This strategy calls for identification, education, and counseling for those youth who have indulged in age-inappropriate use of tobacco products or alcohol or who have indulged in their first use of illicit drugs. Activities under this strategy include screening for substance use and abuse and referral for preventive treatment for to curb such tendencies. This strategy includes:
  • Student assistant programs
  • Youth Driving while Under the Influence Education Programs
    
    
• Community-based activities (or community and professional mobilization): This strategy aims to enhance the ability of the community to provide prevention and treatment services to alcohol and other drug use disorders effectively. Activities include organizing, planning, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness of services implementation, inter-agency collaboration, coalition building, and networking. Building healthy communities encourages healthy lifestyle choices. This strategy includes:
  • Community and volunteer training
  • Systematic planning
  • Multi-agency coordination and collaboration
  • Community team-building
  • Accessing services and funding
    
    
• Social policy and environmental change: This strategy sets up or changes written and unwritten community standards, codes, and attitudes that influence the incidence and prevalence of alcohol and other drug use problems in the general population. Included are laws to restrict availability and access, price increases, and community-wide actions. This strategy includes:
  • Review of alcohol and other drug policies
  • Guidance and technical assistance on monitoring and governing availability and distribution of alcohol and other drugs
  • Product pricing and placement practices