This refers to strategic actions or programs designed to prevent or reduce the initiation, misuse, or harms associated with substance use. These interventions can take place across various settings, such as family, schools, workplaces, communities, the environment, and the media.
Preventive interventions are typically categorised into three levels:
Universal prevention
Selective prevention
Indicated prevention
Effective preventive interventions are evidence-based, context-specific, and often multifaceted, addressing individual, social, and environmental factors that contribute to substance use.
Sources: HRB