Too Good for Drugs™

Building Family & Community Involvement

Students are influenced by all of the environments in which they live. Although classrooms are the logical place to concentrate prevention efforts, they do not exist in a vacuum. To be truly effective, prevention programs must reach beyond the school, into the home and community.

According to many experts, the greatest obstacle to safe and drug-free schools is community norms that favor tobacco, alcohol and other drug use and violence. Too often, they get the message from the media that drug use is glamorous, sexy and fun.

Proactive prevention groups usually begin by identifying the needs of their own communities and setting priorities. Their specific objectives are unique to their own communities, but they generally involve shaping new community norms, sponsoring drug-free social activities, providing positive peer relationships for young people and sending a healthy message to the entire community.

Tips for Establishing Community-Wide Prevention Programs
Resources for Building Community Support