What is Prevention?
Prevention programs or activities attempt to increase the well being and safety of individuals, groups and society by addressing potential negative situations before they result in negative consequences. In other words, prevention works to stop problems before they occur. In addition, prevention programs aim to stop current problems from getting worse.
Examples of well known prevention strategies include recycling, prohibiting smoking in public places, wearing seatbelts and reducing ones intake of refined sugar or greasy foods.
Prevention at Richmond Addiction Services involves preventing the possible negative impacts of substance use, gambling or other potentially addictive behaviours.
Prevention is commonly divided up into three levels:
* Primary prevention works to prevent harmful behaviours or practices from occurring in the first place. Examples include drug refusal skill development in elementary schools and educational programs for parents of preteens.
* Secondary prevention works to prevent problem behaviours from progressing past the early stages. Examples include educating youth on the effects of drugs they may currently be experimenting with and recreation programs that give older adults opportunities for alternative activities.
* Tertiary prevention involves helping those who have already established serious negative patterns to recover and regain stability in their lives. Examples may include treatment and rehabilitation.
Prevention programs or activities attempt to increase the well being and safety of individuals, groups and society by addressing potential negative situations before they result in negative consequences. In other words, prevention works to stop problems before they occur. In addition, prevention programs aim to stop current problems from getting worse. Examples of well known prevention strategies include recycling, prohibiting smoking in public places, wearing seatbelts and reducing ones intake of refined sugar or greasy foods.
Prevention at Richmond Addiction Services involves preventing the possible negative impacts of substance use, gambling or other potentially addictive behaviours.
Prevention is commonly divided up into three levels:
* Primary prevention works to prevent harmful behaviours or practices from occurring in the first place. Examples include drug refusal skill development in elementary schools and educational programs for parents of preteens.
* Secondary prevention works to prevent problem behaviours from progressing past the early stages. Examples include educating youth on the effects of drugs they may currently be experimenting with and recreation programs that give older adults opportunities for alternative activities.
* Tertiary prevention involves helping those who have already established serious negative patterns to recover and regain stability in their lives. Examples may include treatment and rehabilitation.