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Prevention is best aimed at teenagers and young adults aged 18–24 who are at very high risk for substance experimentation. Prevention programs should include an education component that outlines the risks and consequences of substance use and a training component that gives advice on how to resist peer pressure to use drugs.
Furthermore, prevention programs should work to identify and target children who are at relatively higher risk for substance abuse. This group includes victims of physical or sexual abuse, children of parents who have a history of substance abuse, and children with poor school performance and/or attention deficit disorder. These children may require more intensive intervention.
— Genevieve Pham-Kanter
