Prevention and education

There are a variety of strategies that can be used to prevent the use of illicit drugs and educate people about the potential harms of using them. These strategies include:

• build community knowledge of drug-related harms
• restrict the availability of illicit drugs (see also section on regulation and control)
• develop and promote culturally appropriate resources about illicit drugs for individuals, families and communities, and professionals who have contact with at-risk people
• engage communities and stakeholders in the development of prevention programs [33425].

A strong connection with family, community and culture helps to protect people from harmful illicit drug use [41592].  Encouraging young people to go to school, yarning with them about the harms of substance use, and being a good role model can also reduce the likelihood of young people using illicit drugs [23503]. There are health promotion and education programs run in schools and communities which focus on tackling illicit drug use, such as the  Positive Choices: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resources program. This evidence-based program provides up-to-date information about drug use (including alcohol and tobacco) for parents, teachers and students. Resources on the website have been designed with a focus on education and prevention of harms.