Addiction Prevention

Perhaps a better word for addiction prevention would be “avoidance”; to truly prevent a person from developing an addiction, you would have to remove all stress from the person’s life and all personal freedom, which is, clearly, unrealistic. However, it is possible to decrease the likelihood that you or someone else will become addicted to substances or behaviors. The origin of many addictions can be traced to childhood and adolescence, which means that this is a particularly crucial period for implementing prevention strategies.

Some studies have indicated that addiction has a genetic component; if someone in your family has a history of substance abuse, your child could be more at risk for developing an addiction than others in the general population.  However, environment also plays a major role. Research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) indicates that a number of circumstances and behaviors can increase a person’s risk for becoming an addict.   

Additionally, articles in this section give strategies for how to discuss the topic of drugs and alcohol with your child or teen; how to create a home environment that decreases your child’s risk of becoming an addict by removing substances and encouraging open dialogue; how to collaborate with teachers and others in your community; and related articles.  Although many of these strategies explicitly target children or teens, they can often apply to adults who may also be at risk.  Learn more by following the links below.