Jefferson County Preventionist: What Are Environmental Prevention Strategies?

Environmental prevention strategies are interventions that modify or change the environment in which individuals make choices. Environmental strategies focus on changing the environment in ways that encourage people to make healthy choices (Frieden, 2010; Pettibone, Friend, Nargiso, & Florin, 2013). Environmental strategies for substance misuse prevention are rooted in a public health approach that targets change across entire populations or communities.

Environmental strategies can be used to decrease the incidence of substance misuse as well as the harmful consequences of misuse (e.g., motor...