Selling prevention: Using a business framework to analyze the state of prevention and overcome obstacles to expanding substance abuse prevention.

Abstract

Substance abuse prevention programs can be a tough sell to schools, but by employing common business frameworks, the field can more easily understand the state of the field and identify possible methods of expanding school-based substance abuse prevention. An analysis of the state of the substance abuse prevention field finds that the field often fails to consider the consumer when making strategic business decisions. Consumer-driven approaches such as the development and adoption of a standardized measure for effectiveness of in-school substance abuse prevention programs may expand the use and impact of substance abuse prevention. The field should extensively examine the current state of substance abuse prevention, through business tools such as the SWOT and Five C’s Analysis, before ultimately developing a strategy. The prevention field can learn from business practices.