The Minnesota Department of Education (1992) has identified the following prevention strategies. They are organized into four different spheres of action:
"Promote the Skills, Knowledge, and Values of Individual Students:
1. Teach refusal skills.
2. Teach pressure-resisting skills.
3. Teach decision-making and problem-solving skills.
4. Teach goal-setting skills.
5. Teach interpersonal skills (listening, friendship-making, etc.).
6. Teach the health, social, and legal consequences and risks of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use.
7. Enhance self-esteem.
8. Promote the personal understanding and sharing of feelings.
9. Promote identification and appreciation of one's skills and talents.
10. Promote devaluation of chemical use and affirmation of being chemically-free.
11. Develop prosocial values.
12. Develop educational commitment and aspiration.
Promote Positive School Climate:
13. Adopt clear ATOD policies
14. Develop normative expectations of non-use.
15. Develop a caring community.
16. Promote involvement of students in co-curricular activities in school and/or community.
17
Empower Parents:
18. Help parents develop a commitment to play a primary prevention role with their children.
19. Teach parents how to establish rules, standards, and effective discipline regarding chemical use.
20. Teach parents how to support, nurture, and affirm children.
Mobilize the Community:
21. Establish a community-based prevention task force.
22. Collect community data to monitor trends in ATOD use.
23. Pay attention to racial/ethnic factors in creating prevention strategies.
24. Use data to plan, evaluate, and modify prevention efforts.
25. Provide consistent and frequent messages discouraging use.
26. Place emphasis on changing adult ATOD use, attitudes and behavior." (p. 12-13)
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