Handbook of Adolescent Drug Use Prevention (PDF)

Drug abuse is a major societal problem that damages individuals and communities psychologically, physically, socially, and economically. One way to mitigate these consequences is to prevent drug abuse before it starts, and there is good evidence that this can be done effectively. The goal of this book is to help researchers, practitioners, and policy makers prevent drug abuse, primarily among adolescents who either have not used drugs before or have just started using them. Highlighting the huge strides that prevention science has made in the past few decades and what still needs to be better understood, Lawrence Scheier, editor of the Handbook of Drug Use Etiology, has gathered eminent experts from various disciplines to create this comprehensive resource. Together, they distill what we know about effective programs and describe strategies to capitalize on protective factors and curtail risk factors in young people; prevent poor self-regulation and conduct disorders, which may lead to drug abuse; promote positive change in families, schools, and larger communities; and implement wide-scale and targeted media campaigns. The evidence-based drug prevention programs and strategies described in this book can also create secondary benefits by improving overall health and wellness in individuals and communities.