Section: Module 3: Substance Use Disorder Prevention Strategies | Substance Use and Public Health | NextGenU.org

  • Instructional Goals covered in this module:
    • Articulate a range of substance use disorder prevention strategies across the socio-ecological spectrum, and identify the role of healthcare providers is participating in or supporting these strategies.


    Approximate time required for the readings for this module (at 144 words/minute): 17 hours and 58 minutes.

    • Module 3: Lesson 1: Prevention Programs and Policies

      Student Learning Outcomes:

      Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:

      • Investigate the range of policy options used to prevent alcohol, tobacco, and other substance use problems in society.
      • Analyze the impact of policy and environmental interventions on the prevention of substance use disorders.
      Required Learning Resources
    • Read from "Risk and Protective Factors" until "Maximizing Prevention Program and Policy Effectiveness" (excluded). (60 minutes)

      National Library of Medicine - 2016

    • Read the content under the heading "1. Prevention traditions and environmental prevention" on pages 10 -17. 
      Read table 2. Environmental prevention measures covered in the survey on pp 19-20. (27 minutes)

      European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drugs Addiction - 2018

    • Recommended Additional Readings
    • Download the guide at the highlighted link. Read from pages 4 to 31 in the guide. 
      This is a generic planning model and students who have completed a core MPH curriculum may be familiar with it. (65 minutes)

      Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - 2019

    • Module 3: Lesson 2: The role of healthcare workers and social and community support in preventing substance use disorders

      Student Learning Outcomes:

      Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:

      • Examine the role played by family, social networks, and other community systems in the prevention of substance use disorders.
      • Explore addiction prevention strategies such as social and community support, including educational, housing, and vocational support.
      • Describe the role of healthcare workers in the prevention of substance use disorders.
      Required Learning Resources
    • Read from "Role of Social Support in Preventing Relapse" on page 917 to "Conclusion", page 921. (12 minutes)

      International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change - 2020

    • Read the entire article. (25 minutes)

      Springer - 2020

    • Download the article at the highlighted link. Read the content under the heading " STRATEGIES TO PREVENT OVERDOSE DEATHS " on page 2-3. (7 minutes)

      SAMHSA - 2018

    • Download the article from the review source and refresh it to view it. Read Chapter 2 (pages 19 –24) of the document. (13 minutes)

      SAMHSA - 2019

    • Download the article in the review source and refresh it to view it. Read Chapter 2 (pages 21 – 32) of the document. (37 minutes)

      SAMHSA - 2021

    • Download the article in the highlighted link. Read pages 1 to 8 of the document. (35 minutes)

      SAMHSA - 2017

    • SLOs Addressed:

      • Investigate the range of policy options used to prevent alcohol, tobacco, and other substance use problems in society

      • Analyze the impact of policy and environmental interventions on the prevention of substance use disorders

      • Examine the role played by family, social networks and other community systems in the prevention of substance use disorders

      • Explore addiction prevention strategies such as social and community support, including educational, housing, and vocational support

      • Describe the role of healthcare workers in the prevention of substance use disorders

      General Instructions:

      In this activity, you will analyze evidence-based prevention strategies for substance use disorders across the socio-ecological spectrum.

      Step 1: Select and Reflect

      1. Review the course materials on "Prevention Programs and Policies" and "The role of healthcare workers and social and community support."

      2. Read the UNODC/WHO International Standards on Drug Use Prevention.

      3. Select a specific substance (alcohol, tobacco, opioids, cannabis, etc.) as your focus for this assignment.

      Step 2: Critical Analysis and Response

      Based on your readings and research, compose a 500-700 word response addressing the following:

      1. Examine the specific roles played by family, social networks, and other community systems in preventing substance use disorders related to your chosen substance.

      2. Explore and evaluate addiction prevention strategies focused on social and community support, including educational, housing, and vocational support, that are relevant to your chosen substance.

      3. Describe and analyze the role of healthcare workers in implementing prevention strategies for your chosen substance, including potential challenges and opportunities.

      Step 3: Share

      To share your work, click on the "Add a new discussion topic" button under this post and paste your work into the "Message" box. Make sure to reference others' intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. (N.B.: references are excluded from word counts)

    • quiz icon
      Quiz: Module 3

      To access the quiz, click on the name of the quiz provided above. On the following screen, click the attempt quiz button to view the case studies and respond to the questions.

      TO PASS THIS QUIZ YOU MUST OBTAIN A SCORE OF 80%.

      Not available unless: The activity Quiz: Module 2 is marked complete
    • Recommended Additional Readings
    • Read from "Chapter 2" until "Conclusion' (24 minutes)

      Government of Canada - 2022

    • Required Learning Resources
    • The lesson summary includes key information needed to meet the objectives of this module. You are encouraged to review it carefully. At the end of the lesson summary, you'll also find a list of references with clickable links, you can explore them if you'd like to learn more or dive deeper into the topic.

    • Supplementary Learning Resources (Not Required)
    • In this document, we summarized key topics of the module to help you study. Please note that these notes do not cover all of the material in its entirety; you are still encouraged to read and study all of the required learning resources.

    • Here are specialized flashcards designed to reinforce and test your knowledge throughout this course.