Strategy 6:
Environmental Prevention
Definition:
This strategy establishes or changes written and unwritten community standards, codes, and attitudes, thereby influencing the incidence and prevalence of ATOD problems.
Environmental
Prevention is when we strive to reduce the
negative influences that directly and indirectly affect young
people in their everyday lives. In other words, changing those thing in the environment that
promote or normalize the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
Here are some examples of how you can include Environmental
Prevention Strategies in your Red Ribbon Campaign:
- Encourage store owners/managers to remove (or at least significantly
reduce) the alcohol and tobacco advertisements from their businesses, especially in
businesses that children go.
- Encourage store owners/managers to check I.D. and commit to not
selling alcohol or tobacco to minors.
- Work to change a community policy in neighborhoods where there are alcohol or
tobacco billboards.
- Encourage hosts of community sponsored events to not accept alcohol or tobacco
sponsorship, especially at activities that are for families.
- Educate parents, teachers and students to look at advertisement and
think about the images that are presented to them via print media, television, radio, etc.
Policy Change
It might be well worth the time to focus on local government policies or ordinances designed to reduce youth access to
alcohol, tobacco or other drugs in the community. Earlier we addressed the
importance of forming community coalitions. These groups are often
very active in this area and would love to have your support.
Resources
In the prevention
world, Environmental
Prevention Strategies continue to be of great interest. That means
that there are many excellent resources available. Below are just
two Environmental Prevention Strategies that you may incorporate in to
your Red Ribbon activities.
Advertising
Reduction Campaign (a.k.a. Hands Off Halloween)
Students and advisors
work together to visit merchants and ask them to reduce their alcohol and
tobacco advertising, especially those targeting youth.
Social
Norms Marketing
Students work with
adults to develop media campaigns (posters, public service announcements
and other materials) that promote the fact that everyone is not engaged in
alcohol, tobacco and other drug use or violence.
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