CPSTF Economic Finding for Family-based Interventions to Prevent Substance Use Among Youth

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The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) finds that economic benefits exceed the cost of family-based interventions to prevent substance use among youth

CPSTF recommends family-based interventions to prevent substance use among youth. Interventions reduced initiation and use of various substances (see table). They also reduced sexual risk behaviors among youth and led to improvements in mental health symptoms and school-related outcomes.

How can Family-Based Interventions Prevent Substance Use?

These interventions teach parents and caregivers to enhance their children’s substance use preventive skills and practices. Content may address parent-child communication, rule setting, and monitoring, and interventions may include additional substance use prevention activities for youth. Interventions include individual or small group sessions, web-based modules, printed instruction manuals and workbooks, or a combination of these. They may be delivered by health professionals or trained providers in home, school, or community-based settings.

Why is this important?

  • Youth substance use is associated with increased risk for delinquency; academic underachievement; teen pregnancy; sexually transmitted infections; perpetration of, or experience with, violence; injuries; and mental health problems.
  • Preventing or delaying substance use initiation among youth reduces later risk for substance use, substance use disorders, and overdose.
  • In 2021, substance use was common among U.S. high school students and varied by substance. Approximately one third of students (30%) reported current use of alcohol or marijuana or prescription opioid misuse.
  • In 2022, more than 3 million middle and high school students reported using a commercial tobacco product, and 11% of 8th graders reported lifetime use of marijuana

References

Hoots BE, Li J, Hertz MF, et al. Alcohol and other substance use before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among high school students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2021. MMWR Suppl 2023;72(Suppl-1):84–92.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Surgeon General, Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health. Washington, DC: HHS, November 2016.