Prevention or Not?
A middle school teaches students healthy coping and refusal skills before substance use begins. Prevention or not?
PREVENTION. Prevention can build skills and reduce risk before substance-related problems develop.
A friend says, “I’ve been drinking more lately because it helps me deal with stress.” What would you do?
Appropriate Response:
Listen without judging and ask about what’s been going on rather than immediately telling them what to do.
A teenager has a trusted adult they can talk to when they are struggling. Risk or protective factor?
PROTECTIVE FACTOR. Supportive relationships with caring adults can help reduce risk.
A person has to hit “rock bottom” before recovery can begin. Myth or fact?
MYTH. A person does not have to lose everything or reach a crisis before making changes.
Discussion Prompt:
Why do you think the idea of “rock bottom” is so common?
Giving someone naloxone to reverse an opioid overdose is an example of harm reduction. True or false?
TRUE. Naloxone can reverse an opioid overdose and save a life.
A community creates free after-school activities and mentoring programs for youth. Prevention or not?
PREVENTION. Strengthening protective factors and positive connections can reduce substance-use risk.
Discussion Prompt:
What might an after-school program provide besides simply “keeping kids busy”?
A teenager says, “Everyone at my school vapes. It’s really not a big deal.” How might you respond?
Appropriate Response:
Stay curious. Ask what they know about vaping and explore their beliefs rather than lecturing or using scare tactics.
Discussion Prompt:
Why might simply saying “Vaping is bad for you” not be very effective?
A young person regularly spends time with friends who use substances and encourage them to use. Risk or protective factor?
RISK FACTOR. Peer substance use and social pressure can increase the likelihood of substance use.
Discussion Prompt:
Does having a risk factor mean someone will definitely develop a substance problem?
There is only one right way to recover from a substance use disorder. Myth or fact?
MYTH. Recovery can look different for different people and may involve different combinations of treatment, medication, peer support, counseling, harm reduction, and other resources.
Discussion Prompt:
Why might one approach work well for one person but not another?
Does someone have to be ready to stop using drugs before they can receive harm-reduction services?
NO. Harm reduction meets people where they are and provides strategies and services that can reduce health and safety risks.
Discussion Prompt:
Can helping someone stay safer today make it easier for them to seek additional help later?
A school invites someone to tell students, “Drugs will ruin your life—just say no.” Is this automatically effective prevention?
NO. Providing a warning or using fear alone does not automatically make a strategy effective. Prevention should use evidence-informed approaches that address risk and protective factors.
Discussion Prompt:
Why might fear-based messages sometimes fail with young people?
Someone says they are worried about their substance use but aren't ready to stop. What would you do?
Appropriate Response:
Meet them where they are. Explore their concerns, provide information and support, and discuss ways to reduce risk without demanding immediate abstinence.
A teenager is involved in sports, feels connected to school, and has supportive relationships. Risk or protective factors?
PROTECTIVE FACTORS. Connection, positive activities, and supportive relationships can help reduce risk.
Discussion Prompt:
Could this teenager still develop a substance-use problem?
Relapse means treatment failed and the person has to start recovery completely over. Myth or fact?
MYTH. A return to use can signal that additional support or changes to the recovery plan are needed. It does not erase previous progress.
Providing sterile syringes and safe disposal options is considered harm reduction. True or false?
TRUE. Syringe services can reduce infectious-disease risks and provide safer disposal while also connecting people with health and supportive services.
Discussion Prompt:
Why might this approach be controversial?
A prevention program is designed only for teens who have several known risk factors for developing substance-related problems. Is that still prevention?
YES. Prevention can target higher-risk individuals or groups; it does not have to be delivered to everyone.
A family member says, “We’ve tried everything. We need to force them into treatment.” What would you do?
Appropriate Response:
Explore the family's concerns and discuss available options, safety issues, support, and treatment resources rather than promising that forcing treatment will solve the problem.
A person has experienced significant trauma and has very few healthy ways to cope with stress. Risk or protective factors?
RISK FACTORS. Trauma exposure and limited coping skills can increase vulnerability to substance-related problems.
Someone can be in recovery while taking medication to treat an opioid use disorder. Myth or fact?
FACT. Medications for opioid use disorder can be part of an evidence-based treatment and recovery plan.
Discussion Prompt:
Why do you think some people still believe taking medication means someone is “not really sober”?
Harm reduction and abstinence-based recovery cannot exist together. True or false?
FALSE. Harm reduction and abstinence are not necessarily opposites. A person can use harm-reduction services while working toward abstinence or other recovery goals.
A college distributes naloxone and overdose education to students. Is this prevention?
YES — but think broader. It is specifically an overdose-prevention and harm-reduction strategy. Prevention isn't limited to preventing all substance use; it can also prevent serious consequences such as overdose.
Someone tells you they used opioids today and they’re afraid the drug may have contained fentanyl. What would you do?
Appropriate Response:
Take the concern seriously. Focus on immediate safety, encourage them not to use alone or take more, ensure naloxone is available, and seek emergency help if overdose symptoms appear.
Discussion Prompt:
Does helping someone stay safer mean you are encouraging their drug use?
Two teenagers experience similar risk factors. One develops a substance-use problem and the other does not. How is that possible?
Risk does not equal destiny. Risk and protective factors interact, and people respond differently based on individual, family, social, community, and environmental influences.
Recovery always requires complete abstinence from every substance. Myth or fact?
MYTH. Recovery is individualized, and definitions and goals can vary. Abstinence may be the goal for many people, while others may define and pursue recovery differently.
Discussion Prompt:
Who should get to define what recovery means for a person?
A community distributes naloxone, fentanyl test strips, sterile supplies, and treatment information. Critics say, “You’re just enabling drug use.” What is the harm-reduction response?
Appropriate Response:
Providing tools that reduce overdose, disease, and other harms does not require approving of drug use. The immediate goal is to keep people alive, reduce harm, and maintain connection to services and support.
Discussion Prompt:
Can you disagree with someone's behavior and still help keep them safe?