An Overview of Chemical Health Promotion Strategies

A comprehensive chemical health promotion program uses multiple strategies to encourage healthy behavior and changes in a community's use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Mixing Awareness, Lifestyle/Behavior Change and Supportive Environment program strategies is an effective way to promote chemical health in your community.
  • Comprehensive Community Health Promotion [LINK]

Awareness

Programs that increase the level of awareness about chemical health in the community.

Awareness is the first step to making a community "ready" for policy change. By itself, awareness is not an effective way to get people to make long term behavior change. It must be used in combination with other strategies as well.

Examples: newspaper column, cable TV show, posting tobacco warnings, information on FAS/FAE, legal pamphlet, public campaigns, etc.

 

Lifestyle/Behavior Change

Programs that encourage community members' healthy behavior around chemical use.

Behavior change requires environmental support to sustain it long term.

Examples: positive activities for kids, youth mentoring programs, professional education for those working with pregnant women, beverage server training, alternative activities for adults, enforce drinking and driving laws, etc.

 

Supportive Environment

Programs that change the social and physical environment so that healthy behavior around chemical use is encouraged and supported.

This is an important strategy that is often overlooked (changing social norms through policy change).

Examples: responsible hosting policies, chemical free events, city ordinances that regulate alcohol use, community attitudes, community organizing, targeting local advertising that is used to promote alcohol and tobacco use, youth late-night curfews, reducing youth access to alcohol and tobacco, excise tax, etc.

Choosing Chemical Health Promotion Strategies Main Page

Community Chemical Health Promotion Guide Main Page

Community Health Promotion Guide Main Page



See also > Center for Health Promotion > Health Promotion and Chronic Disease