National Prevention Resources

Below is information about organizations that maintain a strong focus on alcohol and other drug (AOD) abuse prevention. This list is not exhaustive and does not necessarily indicate an endorsement by NASADAD.

  • Administration for Children and Families (ACF) — The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is a division of the Department of Health & Human Services. We promote the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals and communities.
  • Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS) The Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS) provides detailed information on a wide variety of alcohol-related policies in the United States at both the State and Federal levels. Detailed, state-by-state, information is available for 33 policies. APIS also provides a variety of informational resources of interest to alcohol policy researchers and others involved with alcohol policy issues.
  • Brandeis University PDMP Center of Excellence — Funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) Center of Excellence was founded in 2010 at the Schneider Institutes for Health Policy, Brandeis University. The Center partners with the PDMP Training and Technical Assistance Center at Brandeis to combat the prescription drug abuse epidemic. The Center collaborates with a wide variety of PDMP stakeholders, including federal and state governments and agencies, universities, health departments, and medical and pharmacy boards.
  • Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) CADCA is the premier membership organization representing those working to make their communities safe, healthy and drug-free. CADCA has members in every U.S. state and territory and working in 18 countries around the world.
  • Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies  SAMHSA’s Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies (CAPT) is a national substance abuse prevention training and technical assistance (T/TA) system dedicated to strengthening prevention systems and the nation’s behavioral health workforce.
  • Centers for Disease Control Tobacco Information and Prevention Source Page The premiere source for tobacco information and prevention, featuring the Smoking and Health Database. The Database covers more than 30 years of information, and is a comprehensive online resource covering the scientific, technical, social science, policy, legal, and historical literature related to smoking and tobacco use.
  • Injury Prevention & Control: Prescription Drug Overdose – The CDC remains committed to advancing a public health approach to preventing drug overdose death and applies its scientific expertise to help curb the epidemic in three ways: 1) Improving data quality and surveillance to monitor and respond to the epidemic; 2) Strengthening state efforts by scaling up effective public health interventions; and 3) Equipping health care providers with the data and tools needed to improve the safety of their patients.
  • Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP)  The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) works with federal, state, public, and private organizations to develop comprehensive prevention systems by:
    • Providing national leadership in the development of policies, programs, and services to prevent the onset of illegal drug use, prescription drug misuse and abuse, alcohol misuse and abuse, and underage alcohol and tobacco use;
    • Providing the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant funds and discretionary grants;
    • Promoting effective substance abuse prevention practices that enable states, communities, and other organizations to apply prevention knowledge effectively.
  • International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium, Inc. (IC&RC)  IC&RC is the global leader in the credentialing of prevention, addiction treatment, and recovery professionals. Organized in 1981, it provides standards and examinations to certification and licensing boards in 25 countries, 47 states and territories, five Native American regions, and all branches of the U.S. military.
  • National Governor’s Association –The abuse of prescription drugs is the fastest growing drug problem in the United States, and is the most common type of drug abuse after marijuana use among teens between the ages of 12 and 17. To combat the growing problem, the National Governors Association (NGA) is hosting a year-long project led by Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper.
  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Impaired Driving –NHTSA was established by the Highway Safety Act of 1970 and is dedicated to achieving the highest standards of excellence in motor vehicle and highway safety. It works daily to help prevent crashes and their attendant costs, both human and financial.
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse  NIDA’s mission is to lead the Nation in bringing the power of science to bear on drug abuse and addiction.
  • Edinburgh Rehab Centre  A highly experienced and proficient rehabilitation center than works arduously everyday to help people overcome the harmful effects of addiction that can prevent a person from reaching their goal of stopping consumption of alcohol or other substances they abuse.
  • National Organization of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome  NOFAS is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1990 dedicated to eliminating birth defects caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy and improving the quality of life for those individuals and families affected. NOFAS is the only national organization focusing solely on FAS, the leading known cause of mental retardation.
  • Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)  As part of the Executive Office of the President, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) places an emphasis on community-based prevention programs, early intervention programs in healthcare settings, aligning criminal justice policies and public health systems to divert non-violent drug offenders into treatment instead of jail, funding scientific research on drug use, and, through the Affordable Care Act, expanding access to substance abuse treatment.
  • Partnership for Drug-Free Kids  The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids translates the science of teen drug use and addiction for families, providing parents with direct support to prevent and cope with teen drug and alcohol abuse.
  • Society for Prevention Research (SPR)  The Society for Prevention Research is an organization dedicated to advancing scientific investigation on the etiology and prevention of social, physical and mental health, and academic problems and on the translation of that information to promote health and well being. The multi-disciplinary membership of SPR is international and includes scientists, practitioners, advocates, administrators, and policy makers who value the conduct and dissemination of prevention science worldwide.
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) SAMHSA is the lead federal agency on substance abuse treatment and prevention. Includes the Centers for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), Prevention (CSAP), and Mental Health Services (CMHS).
    • Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant  The Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant program provides funds to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, 6 Pacific jurisdictions, and 1 tribal entity to prevention and treat substance abuse.
    • Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT)  The mission of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment is to promote community-based substance abuse treatment and recovery services for individuals and families in every community. CSAT provides national leadership to improve access, reduce barriers, and promote high quality, effective treatment and recovery services.
    • Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) – The Center for Mental Health Services leads federal efforts to promote the prevention and treatment of mental disorders. Congress created CMHS to bring new hope to adults who have serious mental illness and children with emotional disorders.
    • National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP)  The National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) is a searchable online database of mental health and substance abuse interventions. All interventions in the registry have met NREPP’s minimum requirements for review and have been independently assessed and rated for Quality of Research and Readiness for Dissemination. The purpose of NREPP is to help the public learn more about available evidence-based programs and practices and determine which of these may best meet their needs. NREPP is one way that SAMHSA is working to improve access to information on evaluated interventions and reduce the lag time between the creation of scientific knowledge and its practical application in the field.
  • U.S. Department of Justice – The mission of the U.S. Department of Justice is to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.
    • Drug Enforcement Administration — The mission of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is to enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States and bring to the criminal and civil justice system of the United States, or any other competent jurisdiction, those organizations and principal members of organizations, involved in the growing, manufacture, or distribution of controlled substances appearing in or destined for illicit traffic in the United States; and to recommend and support non-enforcement programs aimed at reducing the availability of illicit controlled substances on the domestic
    • Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center  The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) established the Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center (UDETC) in 1999 to support its Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws program. The UDETC provides a variety of science-based, practical, effective training and technical assistance services to support, enhance, and build leadership capacity and increase state and local community effectiveness in their efforts to enforce underage drinking laws, prevent underage drinking, and eliminate the devastating consequences associated with alcohol use by underage youth.
  • U.S. Department of Education  The Safe Students-Healthy Schools Initiative supports local educational agencies (LEAs) in the development of communitywide approaches to creating safe and drug-free schools and promoting healthy childhood development. Programs are intended to prevent violence and the illegal use of drugs and to promote safety and discipline. Coordination with other community-based organizations (CBOs) is required. This program is jointly funded and administered by the departments of Education, Justice, and Health and Human Services.
  • U.S Department of Labor, Working Partners for an Alcohol and Drug-Free Workplace  Working Partners provides businesses and communities with tools and information to effectively address drug and alcohol problems.  More specifically, the initiative raises awareness about the impact drugs and alcohol have on the workplace and helps employers and employees work together to ensure their workplaces are free of the hazards of alcohol and drug abuse.