Family-based Interventions to Prevent Substance Use Among Youth
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This is a brief summary of the CPSTF finding and systematic review evidence for Substance Use: Family-based Interventions to Prevent Substance Use Among Youth. Read a complete summary of the systematic review and CPSTF finding.
This information is also available in a PDF version [PDF – 172 kB].
Summary of Community Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation
The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) recommends family-based interventions to prevent substance use among youth. Evidence from the systematic review shows these interventions reduce initiation and use of cannabis, alcohol, tobacco, and illicit substances among youth as well as initiation and misuse of prescription drugs. Studies also report reductions in sexual risk behaviors among youth and improvements in mental health symptoms and school-related outcomes.
Major Findings
The CPSTF recommendation is based on evidence from a systematic review of 60 studies. 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.
| Substance | Reduction in Initiation of Use | Reduction in Use |
|---|---|---|
| Cannabis | 36.6% (4 studies) | 39.0% (13 studies) |
| Prescription drug misuse | 58.1% (3 studies) | 91.4% (6 studies) |
| Alcohol | 12.1% (7 studies) | 33.8% (22 studies) |
| Tobacco | 12.1% (7 studies) | 40.8% (9 studies) |
| Illicit Substances | 13.8% (4 studies) | 76.7% (3 studies) |
What are Family-based Interventions to 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.1
- Preventing or delaying substance use initiation among youth reduces later risk for substance use, substance use disorders, and overdose.1
- 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.2
- In 2022, more than 3 million middle and high school students reported using a commercial tobacco product,3 and 11.0% of 8th graders reported lifetime use of marijuana.4
Learn More
CDC’s Injury Center, Drug Overdose
CDC, Adolescent and School Health
CDC, Alcohol and Public Health
References
1 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, 2016. Available from URL: https://addiction.surgeongeneral.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-generals-report.pdf. Accessed 7/31/23.
2 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. Available from URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.su7201a10. Accessed 7/31/23.
3 Park-Lee E, Ren C, Cooper M, et al. Tobacco product use among middle and high school students — United States, 2022. MMWR 2022;71:1429–35. Available from URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7145a1. Accessed 7/31/23.
4 Miech RA, Johnston LD, Patrick ME, et al. Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975–2022: Secondary school students. Monitoring the Future Monograph Series. Ann Arbor (MI): Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 2023. Available at URL: https://monitoringthefuture.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/mtf2022.pdf. Accessed 7/31/23.
Established in 1996 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) is an independent, nonfederal panel of public health and prevention experts whose members are appointed by the director of CDC. CPSTF provides information for a wide range of decision makers on programs, services, and other interventions aimed at improving population health. Although CDC provides administrative, scientific, and technical support for CPSTF, the recommendations developed are those of CPSTF and do not undergo review or approval by CDC. Find more information at www.thecommunityguide.org.