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

Module 2: Types of Environmental Approaches - Page 15 of 26

Educating Through Data Collection

three stylzed students raising their hands to the word 'education'

Data collection is an integral component of environmental strategies. At every step of the way, hard and reliable information is needed to inform the public about public health trends, the severity of a particular problem, and why environmental intervention is necessary.

For example, data that has been collected through surveys, reviews of hospital and arrest records, and other sources can be used to inform and educate the public about the level of substance abuse in the community as well as associated problems such as motor vehicle crashes, crime, or domestic violence. Frequently, large numbers of people in a community may have misconceptions about the extent of an underage drinking problem or about the lack of enforcement of drunk-driving laws. Hard evidence illustrating what is really going on in a community can go a long way toward changing the social and cultural norms that contribute to these problems.

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