By Stacey Urban
A surgeon General’s report “Facing Addiction in America” finds that abuse of substances such as alcohol and drugs is a growing problem in the United States. The adolescent years are critical at-risk periods. Research show that many adults with substance abuse problems started drinking or taking drugs in their teen years. Teen-age substance abuse is linked to sexual risk behaviors that lead young people to contract sexually transmitted diseases and become pregnant. More needs to be done to lessen such consequences.

 The report concludes that prevention programs for this risky behaviors should focus on individuals, peers, families, schools and communities. When students’ schools environment are supportive and parents are engaged in their children’s live they are less likely to use alcohol or take drugs or engage in premarital sexual behavior. 

 The CDC says in their resource that for primary prevention activities targeting substance use and sexual risk behaviors to be effective, they should include “Peer-led drug and alcohol resistance programs”.

But why not include peer led sex resistance programs?  That is exactly the proven concept behind the Urban Life Training proposal for every school district to have a Right Choices Youth Prevention Corps.