Center for Substance Abuse Prevention

The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) is the U.S. agency responsible for the prevention of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug problems in the U.S. population. Because such problems are intrinsically linked with other public health problems, CSAP partners with public and private sector organizations, including other federal agencies, state agencies, professional organizations, and business and health care organizations. CSAP develops comprehensive, culturally appropriate, science-based prevention strategies, policies, and systems that target both individuals and the environments in which they live. The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI), established by CSAP, has become the nation's largest disseminator of knowledge about prevention and treatment of alcohol and drug problems.

(SEE ALSO: Addiction and Habituation; Alcohol Use and Abuse; Cocaine and Crack Cocaine; Drug Abuse Resistance Education [DARE]; Marijuana; Substance Abuse, Definition of; Tobacco Control)

— NANCY J. KENNEDY

The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) is an agency of the United States government under the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Established in 1992 from the previous Office of Substance Abuse Prevention, its mission is to reduce the use of illegal substances and the abuse of legal ones.

CSAP promotes self-esteem and cultural pride as a way to reduce the attractiveness of drugs, advocates raising taxes as a way to discourage drinking alcohol by young people, develops alcohol and drug curricula, and funds research on alcohol and drug abuse prevention. CSAP strongly encourages the use of "evidence-based programs" for drug and alcohol prevention. Evidence-based programs are programs that have been rigorously and scientifically evaluated to show effectiveness in reducing or preventing drug use.

The current director of CSAP is Frances Harding.

External links

• CSAP home page

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