Summary - Department of Health and Ageing

Prevention strategies across a number of areas, including crime prevention, physical and
mental health promotion, and education strategies, target harmful drug use as one of a
broad set of prevention goals. This chapter summarises a number of broad-based strategies
and considers the potential synergy with efforts to prevent developmental risk, harmful
drug use and drug-related harm.
Investment in the early years is supported by an increasing body of evidence, including
research on the role of adequate nurture in early brain development, developmental
research linking early developmental problems with problems later in life, and growing
evidence that interventions in the early years make a difference later in life. These findings
are promising, although longer follow-up studies are needed.
Education strategies encompass a range of programs to enhance school learning
environments and promote student health with a focus on reducing risk factors and
enhancing protective factors. Well- conducted prevention programs in primary schools
may be among the best investments for addressing harmful drug use (as well as other
outcomes) and may impact on a wide range of risk factors such as conduct problems,
aggression, victimisation, early age drug use and low school attachment. They may also
enhance protective factors by increasing pro-social, responsible behaviours and bonding to
teachers, parents and school. Programs addressing high school organisation and behaviour
management may also influence important risk and protective factors.
Homelessness strategies address the strong link between homelessness, substance use and
mental illness. Some evidence suggests that programs that reduce risk factors and enhance
protective factors for harmful drug use will also help to prevent homelessness. Similarly,
strategies that reduce homelessness may have a positive impact on drug use problems,
although bringing together young people who use drugs could encourage rather than
discourage use.
Crime prevention programs in Australia generally take a developmental pathways
approach focusing on modifying early risk and protective factors. Many of the factors that
lead young people to engage in crime also lead to harmful drug use. Recommendations
for violence prevention programs include addressing multiple risk factors; enhancing
protective factors at the community, family, school and individual/peer levels; and
maintaining programs across the course of development. Crime prevention programs often
include early intervention with disadvantaged and at-risk youth.
Methadone maintenance therapy for opiate dependence has been shown to be an effective
means of reducing drug-related criminal behaviours in opiate users.
There is evidence that early youth involvement in tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use may
increase later involvement in crime. In overview, the current evidence supports the
development of mechanisms to link investment and program delivery in crime prevention
with efforts to prevent drug-related harm.