CONTENTS

About This Course

Table of Contents

1. An Introduction to Environmental Strategies
2. Types of Environmental Approaches
3. Putting Environmental Strategies To Work

Supplements
References
Resources

Environmental Strategies for Prevention
A Guide To Helping the Prevention Professional Work Effectively in the Community

What Is at Stake?

Environmental strategies related to substance abuse are especially important because tobacco and alcohol are two of the most widely promoted products in the world. ref

According to research by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Georgetown University:

• In 2001, 2002, and 2003, almost a quarter of the alcohol ads that aired on television were more likely to be seen by underage youth per capita than by legal-age adults.
• The alcohol industry spent more than $30 million in 2003 to place 2,608 ads on the top 15 programs watched by teens, including Fear Factor, Smallville, and According to Jim.
• According to a 1998 advertising agency study, young people ages 6 to 17 said a cartoon ad for a leading brand of beer was more popular than ads for the top candy bar, fashion doll, soda, and basketball shoe brands. ref

Contrast these statistics with the impact of alcohol on today's youth:

• Alcohol use is a leading cause of death among youth and contributes substantially to adolescent motor vehicle crashes, traumatic injuries, suicides, homicides, risky sexual behavior, and poor school performance. ref
• In 2003, nearly 45 percent of high school students reported drinking alcohol on one or more of the past 30 days; 28.3 percent reported heavy episodic alcohol use (having five or more drinks of alcohol in a row or within a couple of hours) at least once during the past 30 days. ref
• 1,400 college students in the United States die each year as a result of alcohol-related injuries. ref