1. Environmental Strategies
Bidder’s Conference
January 30th, 2009
Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Grants

2. What does this have to do with substance abuse prevention?
Tobacco
Alcohol
Prescription drugs

3. Why are we talking about Environmental Strategies?
The Youth Grants will be awarded to groups using Environmental Strategies.
We know through science that Environmental Strategies work.
We can help you find the best Environmental Strategy for your group.

4. What is an Environmental Strategy?
Environmental strategies create changes in conditions (environments) that support healthy decisions and discourage unhealthy behaviors and perceptions.
Focus on the conditions that lead to underage alcohol use, conditions that lead to tobacco use, and prescription drug abuse

5. What is an Environmental Strategy?
For example:
What changes in conditions (in our environment) cause people to stop smoking?
Focus on the conditions that lead to underage alcohol use, conditions that lead to tobacco use, and prescription drug abuse

6. How do Environmental Strategies work?
Reaching an entire population (community or group)
Changing how people think and act
Teaching about danger and harm
Limiting access; makes it harder to get! (availability, price, consequences)
Lasting impact
Environmental strategies focus on preventing unhealthy behavior for the entire population.
Environmental strategies try to:
change what the entire population thinks is right or wrong (known as “norms”);
limit unhealthy behavior through making things such as alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs harder to get (known as “availability”);
and by changing rules, laws, and policies to help people see that unhealthy behaviors are not seen as “right” by society (known as “regulations”).
Having consequences for certain actions, for example someone buying alcohol for minors (limiting “availability”), helps to change “norms,” in turn, reducing the behavior.

7. The three components of environmental strategies are all connected, and if the strategy is successful, the unhealthy behavior will be reduced among the entire population.
Norms
Policy
Everyone
Access

8. What are some examples of Environmental Strategies?
Fewer youth will drink IF:
A. Kids think no one else their age drinks (norms).
B. No restaurant or bar will serve a minor (access).
C. Adults know the penalties and consequences for providing alcohol to youth (policy).