How to get involved in community drug prevention
There are a lot of ways you can play a significant part in yourcommunity's drug prevention programs. Many local heroes are probably workingalready to make a difference in your neighborhood. Anyone, any age can getinvolved – male or female, homemaker or corporate VP. No special skills needed.No matter what it is, you have something to offer.
What is Drug Prevention?
Effective drug prevention revolves around education and positive alternatives. First and foremost, the idea is to keep people away from drugs by providing the information and support they need to make healthy lifestyle choices. It's also important to give people – especially youth – somewhere to go and something better to do than drugs.
Youth-Focused Prevention
Today's young people want and need fun, challenging ways to spend theirfree time. And they need positive, successful role models who care, listen, whocan help them recognize and build their own strengths. In fact, when kids enjoyregular positive activity with an adult they are less likely to begin usingdrugs and alcohol and less likely to skip school. Conversely, they're morelikely to improve academic performance, develop better problem-solving anddecision making skills, self confidence and a sense of belonging.
Any fun and positive activity can help. Something challenging andenjoyable. Something with meaning. Something that offers kids an opportunity towork together and improve their own community. Something that can promotecultural or community awareness. Something that builds self-esteem. There aremany drug prevention organizations in your community that sponsor these typesof activities.
Reaching Youths Outside of School
After-school hours are high-risk periods for alcohol and illicit druguse, unprotected sex and violence among youths. Approximately one-third of allviolent juvenile crimes occur between the hours of 3 p.m. and 7 p.m, when manychildren are unsupervised. Targeted programs during these vulnerable hours canhelp prevent, reduce, or delay the onset of alcohol, tobacco, and other druguse. After-school programs can also reinforce social skills learned in schooland at home.
Sports Programs
Millions of American children participate in elementary, middle or highschool sports teams and many others join community teams, providingopportunities to reach large number of youths with prevention messages. Coachesand other supervisors can be trained to recognize warning signs of substanceabuse and deal with at-risk athletes.
Community Groups
Creating a safe place for youths to gather after school can help protectthem from risk factors in the community, in peer groups or at home. Programs canbe developed through partnerships with the city, the local school district, anda nonprofit community center. Providing constructive and healthy activities foryouths – coupled with substance abuse prevention – can offset the attraction toalcohol, tobacco, or other drugs. Community youth development programs, such asthe Boys and Girls Club, can integrate prevention education into traditionalactivities..
Mentoring
While informal mentoring occurs naturally for children who have positiveadult influences, many young people have few positive adult role models. Formalmentoring programs assist these children by structuring one-to-onerelationships with caring adults that can reduce risk factors for substanceabuse, such as social isolation and insufficient supervision. A positive adultrole model also offers new perspective to youths living in situations rife withsubstance abuse and violence.
Source:www.helpyourcommunity.org