Drug abuse in the United States. Strategies for prevention

Efforts to curtail abuse of alcohol and other drugs concentrate on activities designed for supply-and-demand reduction. Many law enforcement and health officials agree that the reduction in supply of drugs cannot succeed as long as the demand for drugs for purposes of abuse occurs in a significant segment of society. Critical to reducing this demand is prevention. Only through an understanding of the correlates and risk factors associated with the use of alcohol and other drugs, along with the identification and implementation of sound strategies, can change occur. Although research has uncovered a considerable body of knowledge about the interplay of personal behavior, risk factors, and health in the prevention of substance abuse, many questions remain unanswered. Until those answers are known, efforts that have proven most effective need to be more widely emphasized.