Prevention of Substance Abuse and Violence
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure…Substance abuse and violence are often the cause of, or are associated with, negative experiences in the lives of many youth, families, schools, and communities. Abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs can cause tremendous strain and stress on families, contribute to poor academic and athletic performances, cause physical and medical problems in individuals, and lead to crime and diminished productivity in communities and workplaces. In addition to the needless loss of life that occurs through alcohol poisoning, drug overdoses, vehicle crashes, and violence, there are many devastating, but less publicized side effects of substance abuse. Whether or not a person has an addiction to alcohol or other drugs, significant legal and personal problems often result from the actions of intoxicated people. Research and experience show that the time, energy, and resources spent dealing with the costs and negative consequences of substance abuse can be significantly reduced with increased investments in prevention efforts. A comprehensive prevention strategy can decrease impacts on individuals and communities as well as reduce the cost of resources for law enforcement, incarceration, medical costs, treatment costs, property damage, and lost work associated with substance use.
As an affiliate of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), Employee & Family Resources' prevention program works to implement a comprehensive approach to preventing substance abuse and violence in Polk County, Iowa.
Learn specific drug information
How does Prevention work?
EFR's comprehensive prevention programming uses six strategies that are recognized by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as best practices in the prevention field. These strategies are Information Dissemination, Education, Environmental/Social Policy, Alternatives, Community-Based Process, and Problem Identification and Referral.
A comprehensive prevention plan employs each of these strategies throughout a community. Employee & Family Resources' Prevention Specialists regularly deliver prevention programming in all six strategies in a variety of settings with a variety of audiences. The ultimate goal of EFR's prevention efforts is to inform, educate, and positively impact conditions that lead to the decrease or elimination of substance abuse and violence.
Employee & Family Resources' prevention services are available to all residents of Polk County free of charge through the support of the Iowa Department of Public Health, Polk County, and United Way of Central Iowa. EFR's Prevention Specialists are trained and certified professionals through the Iowa Board of Certification.
EFR also provides statewide tobacco prevention services to the Asian/Pacific-Islander populations and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) communities through grants aimed at reducing the disproportionate impact on specific priority populations. These services include the establishment of statewide coalitions to guide and support community-specific prevention efforts over three years.
Please contact EFR Prevention Services to arrange prevention services for a workplace, community group, or classroom.
Resource To Help Decisionmakers Choose Cost-Effective Substance Abuse Prevention Programs
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) has just released a new cost-benefit analysis report.
Communities can use cost-benefit analysis to help guide their decisions and develop better comprehensive prevention strategies based on their unique needs and characteristics.
Substance Abuse Prevention Dollars and Cents: A Cost-Benefit Analysis is a report designed to help policymakers and other stakeholders use the results of cost-benefit analysis as an information tool for decisionmaking and for selecting the substance abuse prevention programs that address their needs, given available resources.
Substance Abuse Prevention Dollars and Cents: A Cost-Benefit Analysis (PDF, 905KB)
Drug-Free Workplace Supervisor Training
Sessions provide information regarding the prevalence of drug and alcohol abuse, the related cost to employers, what constitutes reasonable suspicion of drug or alcohol abuse, the referral of employees who abuse alcohol or other drugs to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and more.
Learn more about Drug-Free Workplace Supervisor Training available from EFR.
