The Monitoring the Future survey results were released this week by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA). The national survey on alcohol and other drug use by high school students has been done annually since 1975. Having worked in the “field” of prevention for many (many) years, it’s satisfying to see that alcohol use and binge drinking by teens is at a historic low. I remember when prevention was comprised of “Just Say No” – a phrase coined by former first lady Nancy Reagan in the ’70s. We all know how well that worked!
As they say, “We’ve come a long way baby!” Prevention of alcohol and other drug problems has evolved from a catchphrase to a field of practice based on the public health model, utilizing effective research-based strategies and interventions. No more guessing at what works and what doesn’t. New Hampshire, along with many other states, certifies prevention specialists (CPS) who must demonstrate competencies in specific areas of prevention practice. The federal alcohol and other drug agency developed a strategic framework for prevention based on what the research tells us. One of the most significant changes in prevention over the last 30 plus years? The data! The focus on underage alcohol problems by the federal government and states has resulted in the decline in use documented in Monitoring the Future. Check out some of our own prevention successes at the NH Center for Excellence and you’ll see what I mean.
But, this is only the beginning. Our focus on alcohol may have been at the expense of an increase in marijuana use. Other factors are at work here, in particular the relaxed attitudes toward use by parents and of course the medicalization of marijuana. And the draconian budget cuts of all direct prevention services in New Hampshire do not bode well for the future. How will we maintain the gains noted in Monitoring the Future with very little investment in prevention? How can we target the use of marijuana and other drugs with no prevention focus?
The reality is that the 2011 Monitoring the Future survey is a good example of the good news and the bad news. Still, we know prevention works and how. Maybe someday we’ll be ready to “Just say Yes!” to prevention.
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