Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Corresponding Author address: Kenneth W. Coauthor address: Gilbert J. Botvin, Ph. Kenneth W. Griffin, Ph. Gilbert J.
Griffin is a consultant to NHPA. Substantial progress has been made in developing prevention programs for adolescent drug abuse. This article reviews the epidemiology, etiologic risk and protective factors, and evidence-based approaches that have been found to be most effective in preventing adolescent substance use and abuse.
Exemplary school and family-based prevention programs for universal everyone in population , selected members of at-risk groups , and indicated at-risk individuals target populations are reviewed, along with model community-based prevention approaches. Challenges remain in widely disseminating evidence-based prevention programs into schools, families, and communities. Substance use and abuse continue to be important public health problems that contribute greatly to morbidity and mortality rates throughout the United States, Canada, and globally.
For several decades, substantial research efforts have been undertaken to understand the epidemiology and etiology of substance use and abuse. The knowledge gained from this work has been important in identifying and developing effective prevention and treatment approaches. From person to person, there is great variability in patterns of substance use and abuse.
Some individuals face life-long struggles with addiction, while others go through life without experimenting with any substances. However, from a population perspective, the epidemiologic patterns are consistent and predictable. According to national datasets, the prevalence of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use increases rapidly from early to late adolescence, peaks during the transition to young adulthood, and declines though the remainder of adulthood.
