Summary - Department of Health and Ageing

Peer programs have been extensively used in Australia to address risks associated with
illicit drug use. They use strategies such as encouraging safer injecting and providing
information regarding support options but their impact on drug use is not yet known.
For many young people, drug use is a component of social and non-school recreational
activities. Efforts to reduce drug use have, therefore, included efforts to modify young
people’s recreation settings by providing recreational opportunities outside the school
setting to promote positive development. The evidence available, to date, suggests the
strategy has promise and warrants further evaluation. Youth sport and recreation strategies
may be of particular importance to young people who are not attending school.
The Australian Drug Foundation has recently introduced its Good Sports Accreditation
Program—to recognise clubs at a community level for their alcohol policy and practice
initiatives. The approach holds promise although it is too early to demonstrate its impact.
Evidence suggests that involving at-risk young people in organised community-based
activity programs, such as youth clubs, confers some protection against illicit drug use.
Mentorship strategies aim to develop positive social relationships between young people
and adults who can provide support and healthy role modelling. Connectedness with a
caring and responsible adult has been shown to reduce the risk of drug use and related
problems for young people with a high number of risk factors. Programs that recruit and
train adult volunteers to offer advice and friendship to young people have been
implemented and, in some cases, evaluated.
Mentoring programs may be successfully organised through schools or community
organisations. They may also have particular significance within populations where there
are high rates of drug-related harm, such as Indigenous communities and out-of-school
youth. The Big Brothers/Big Sisters program, implemented in Australia through Jesuit
Social Services, appears worthy of further evaluation.
The delivery of drug-related health education or information in community settings
should be approached with caution. There has been little evaluation and, as with all types
of drug education, community-based programs have the potential to exacerbate problems.
There are no published studies evaluating this approach to tobacco or alcohol use. Some
community-based programs targeting high-risk young people have been evaluated and,
while they may be feasible to implement, the evidence suggests there may be risks in
bringing together high-risk young people for drug education programs.
Preventive case management targets young people with multiple risk factors. It typically
involves complex coordination across a range of service types and includes: assessment of
needs, identifying relevant services, coordination of service delivery, and monitoring of
outcomes. Although used in various settings, evaluation has been limited and has not
looked at the impact on tobacco or alcohol use. Preventive case management appears to be
best suited for young people with multiple risk factors for illicit drug use. Variants of the
strategy are being developed for delivery in Australian settings and further implementation
and evaluation are warranted.