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Prevention of substance use disorders (SUDs) applies research-driven interventions and policies that target modifiable individual-level and community-level factors to reduce the likelihood that an individual will engage in risky substance use behavior that may lead to a substance use disorder. Public health is an approach to reduce the individual and societal burden of addiction. It is grounded in epidemiology and health promotion to identify, understand, and reduce high-risk drug-using behaviors, promote SUD screening and treatment, and address underlying factors that may contribute to the societal burden of addiction, including poverty, stigma and discrimination, health inequities, and inadequate access to medication treatment. Public health policy involves regulations, rules, and laws designed to achieve a public benefit through shaping or controlling drug availability/access, use, and environmental factors that shape access and use. Evaluation of drug policies can provide important feedback to policymakers and clinicians to mitigate unintended negative consequences of public policy such as exacerbation of SUD problems (e.g., rise in heroin use when prescription opioids became less accessible). In this chapter, we describe approaches that clinicians can use to leverage their power to impact community health through prevention, public health, and policy. We frame prevention, public health, and public policy as interrelated approaches to reduce the societal impact and burden of substance use disorders. |
