The alternatives approach revisited: a biopsychological model and guidelines for application

The alternatives approach to drug abuse prevention is based on the concept that individuals provided with healthful, nonchemical ways of gaining rewards and pleasures will be less likely to engage in drug or alcohol abuse. After enjoying a brief period of popularity the approach seems to have fallen out of favor, largely because of a combination of conceptual confusion and the lack of any systematic guidelines for the development and presentation of alternative activities. This article seeks to remedy those twin deficiencies. An attempt is made to explicate the physical and psychological dynamics underlying alternatives, culminating in the formulation of a biopsychological model of alternatives. The model depicts the sequence of events which moves an individual toward or away from healthful activities or drug use, and it generates a series of predictions and potential empirical tests of the model. The article presents a series of practical guidelines for the selection and development of alternative activities, designed to assist and encourage the development of healthful activities in the schools, the home, and the community.