Prevention proscriptive model

This third prevention model is the most basic in principle. It takes a moral stance in addressing substance-use problems. The guiding theme is that if there is no use of the substance, then there can be no problem. If a person does use the substance, that use is not seen as a societal problem but instead as a product of a person s character flaw. The goals of the proscriptive model are prohibition of availability and abstention from use (Skirrow Sawka, 1987). 

An example of the application of the proscriptive model of prevention in the United States was Prohibition (1921-1932). Public reaction to Prohibition was mixed. In this picture, taken in the 1920s, a group of women stand outside a house with signs inviting others to join their anti-Prohibition club. 

Although the proscriptive model remains popular with some, it has not made any significant contribution to the prevention of substance-abuse problems. It is well known that Prohibition was less than successful in alleviating problems associated with alcohol use, and other substance-use problems also have continued. Perhaps the major difficulty with the model is that it is too simple to tackle a complex problem. 

The proscriptive model of prevention, which involves prohibiting the availability of drugs and promoting abstention from use, has proven to be the most effective of the three major models of prevention. 

A third model of prevention is the proscriptive approach, which focuses on prohibiting the availability of substances and emphasizes abstention from drug use. The most common substance-abuse prevention interventions have been education and the use of mass media. Most states now require alcohol and drug education in school curricula. 

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