Substance Abuse Prevention Services

The goals of DBHR's Substance Abuse Prevention Program are to prevent and reduce the misuse of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs; reduce the negative consequences of drug misuse; and prevent and reduce alcohol and other drug dependency.

DBHR's prevention program focuses on children and adolescents who have never used alcohol or other drugs, or have just begun using and can benefit from early intervention.  People who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who wait until age 21.  Each additional year of delaying alcohol use reduces the risk of alcohol dependence by 14 percent (http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/govpubs/rpo992/)

Our number one prevention priority is to reduce underage drinking in Washington State.  While binge drinking among Washington's 8th graders has gone down 42% since 2000, nearly one in 10 8th graders and one in five 10th graders reported binge drinking in the 2008 Healthy Youth Survey.  http://www.starttalkingnow.org/documents/TownHallParentWashingtonState.pdf

 Statewide Prevention Programs: Get details about our state's underage drinking prevention initiatives and other prevention services.

Prevention Philosophy

DBHR uses a "risk and protective factor" approach as the cornerstone of its efforts to prevent alcohol and other drug abuse. Risk factors are personal, family or community characteristics that increase the likelihood an individual will use alcohol or other drugs. Protective factors are similar characteristics that help insulate individuals from substance-abusing behaviors. These include individual protective characteristics, bonding to family, school, community and/or peers, and healthy beliefs and clear standards for behavior:  Chart of Risk and Protective Factors.

Western Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies: program planning, best practices and other resources

Becoming a Certified Prevention Professional

Synar: Enforcing Youth Tobacco Access Laws

The Washington State Annual Synar Report details the progress made in enforcing youth tobacco access laws.  This report also outlines the means for Washington to comply with the Synar Amendment, the federal law that requires states to have laws that prohibit the sale and distribution of tobacco products to people under 18 and to enforce those laws effectively.

DBHR is required to report this information annually to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.  The Washington State Liquor Control Board has primary responsibility for enforcing the laws, and the state Department of Health is responsible for annual compliance checks of tobacco vendors.  Federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment block grant funding can be reduced if the state retailer violation rate exceeds 20%. The violation rate in Washington for this year's survey is 8.9%.

Prevention Works!  Resource Kit: Substance Abuse and Other Problems

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