Prevention is about helping people stay healthy, connected, and supported.
What is Prevention?
Prevention is a deliberate commitment to health, wellness, and improved outcomes across the lifespan. SAFE Project intentionally integrates prevention best practices at every level, recognizing that full-spectrum prevention saves lives. Moving beyond a “Just Say No” approach, we embrace comprehensive strategies that incorporate primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention—both within our organization and in partnership with external stakeholders—creating meaningful impact together!
Substance use prevention is a proactive, ongoing process that aims to prevent the initiation and progressions substance use while mitigating associated harms. It is a multidisciplinary approach that reinforces protective factors and addresses risk while promoting overall health and well-being. Prevention plays a crucial role in fostering resilience and improving public health.
Prevention Starts With All of Us!
Different Types of Prevention
Primary
Preventing or delaying initial use through proactive measures.
Examples Include:
Education, early support, and health promotion.
Secondary
Early detection of, or reduction of, substance use.
Examples Include:
Screening, early intervention, reducing further use, and preventing high-risk use.
Tertiary
Reducing harm associated with use and improving quality of life.
Examples Include:
Harm reduction, treatment, and access for co-occurring healthcare.
Prevention Points
Every week SAFE Project will release a Prevention Point that will center on the power of prevention. Topics will include how the field of prevention has shifted from focusing solely on fear/awareness/consequences to a more scientific/medical model of health promotion.
Each Prevention Point segment will share pointed messages to help readers better understand prevention concepts and guid them to additional information and resources that promote population health and life-changing impact.
From Awareness to Action:
The Power of Prevention
Prevention is needed now more than ever as our world faces simultaneous epidemics around substance use, overdose, and mental health. Empowering prevention allies to join the charge is a crucial lifesaving step that begins with an understanding of what prevention is and what strategies are most effective.
Every layer of society is a point of prevention, and every connection is a chance to heal.
Dr. Rahul Gupta
Promoting Prevention
Feature Spotlight
This story is about a young woman determined to provide prevention efforts for her community.
Feature Spotlight
Filler Photo
Prevention Webinars
Collaborations & Partnerships
Simply Neuroscience
Youth Voice Council
Articles & Resources
Take the No Shame Pledge
Life’s A Party
Opioid Overdose Response Training