Community-Coalition On Drug Awareness
Educating Communities Through
Awareness-Acknowledgement-Action
Education Without Enforcement Doesn't Work
Enforcement
Enforcement and policy are closely connected, but it is important to remember that policies are unlikely to be successful without enforcement.
Effective enforcement requires visibility. People need to see that substance use prevention is a community priority and that violating related laws and regulations will result in consequences.
Enforcement strategies may include:
Surveillance. May include the use of compliance checks and other efforts to determine if people are complying with existing laws. Examples of surveillance environmental strategies to address underage drinking include prohibiting sales to minors and compliance checks (covert underage buyer programs).
Penalties, fines, and detention. These strategies create consequences for people or institutions that don’t comply with an existing policy.Community policing. Encourages citizens and community members to participate in prevention efforts. This could include neighborhood watches, efforts to remove sources of alcohol or drugs, or partnering with law enforcement to discourage underage drinking and substance use.
Incentives. Incentives offer rewards that reinforce healthy behaviors, such as drug education programs for children that include stickers and other small prizes.