The most effective way to prevent substance use and other behavioral health concerns is to create environments where youth feel supported in making healthy decisions.
Prevention Starts at Home
Parents and caregivers play the most important role in shaping a child’s choices. Research shows that children are more likely to make safe, healthy decisions when parents:
- Communicate clearly and often about family values and expectations
- Act as positive role models in daily life
- Know where their child is and who they’re with
- Provide consistent support, encouragement, and love
By doing these things, families help create a home environment that builds resilience and reduces risk.
Prevention in the Community
For prevention to be truly effective, families need support from their communities. Communities can help by:
- Implementing and enforcing policies in schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods that limit youth access to alcohol and drugs
- Training teachers and school staff to identify and respond to behavioral health concerns and connect students to appropriate resources
- Collaborating across systems (schools, law enforcement, healthcare, and community organizations) to ensure consistent prevention efforts
When families and communities work together, prevention has a stronger and lasting impact.
Risk and Protective Factors
Many factors influence whether a young person develops substance use or behavioral health challenges.
- Risk Factors: Conditions at the biological, psychological, family, community, or cultural level that increase the chance of problems.
- Protective Factors: Conditions at the individual, family, or community level that decrease the chance of problems.
Effective prevention focuses on:
- Reducing risk factors most connected to the problem
- Strengthening protective factors that help youth thrive
Support in North Dakota
The North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services’ Behavioral Health Division is the state’s leading resource for behavioral health promotion and substance use prevention. The Division can assist individuals, families, and communities with implementing effective substance abuse prevention efforts.