Substance Use Prevention

The Substance Use Prevention program contracts with community-based providers to deliver comprehensive alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) prevention services ranging from early pregnancy programs to senior citizen education.

We do not provide treatment services.

Our prevention services:

• Save lives. Over half a million Americans die each year from alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) related causes; these deaths are preventable.
• Help contain costs. Preventing problems also keeps taxes and insurance rates from increasing.
• Lower social costs. Over two-thirds of all arrests in the United States are alcohol and drug related.
• Reduce fear. Nearly 40% of parents believe that ATOD are the most worrisome risk for their children.
• Involve everyone. Just as ATOD problems cut across every age, economic, and cultural group, so do prevention efforts.

Examples include:

• Education and outreach for older adults (55+)
• Coalition building and community organization
• Academic assistance and tutoring programs
• Parenting and family management classes
• Multi-cultural prevention services
• Life skills development and job training
• Mentoring programs
• Recreational and other drug-free activities

Prevention strategies include:

• Distributing information about ATOD use, abuse, and addiction
• Improving individuals' ability to make healthy choices
• Offering constructive and healthy drug-free activities
• Helping individuals identify, educate, counsel, and refer youth who have experimented with ATOD
• Working with elected officials to set up or change written and unwritten community standards, codes, and attitudes about ATOD use 

Substance Use Prevention Program
Salt Lake County Health Department
2001 South State Street, Suite S2-600 
PO Box 144575 
Salt Lake City, UT 84104-4575 
385-468-5319 

Our current contracted service providers include:

• Asian Association of Utah
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah
• Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake
• Centro de la Familia de Utah
• Children's Service Society
• Granite School District
• Housing Authority
• Jordan School District
• Project Reality 
• Salt Lake City School District
• Neighborhood Housing Services
• Salt Lake County Aging & Adult Services
• Salt Lake County Youth Services
• South Salt Lake Coalition for Drug Free Youth
• Spy Hop Productions
• U of U Neighborhood Action Coalition
• Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake
• Valley Behavioral Health
• Volunteers of America

Misuse of prescription pain medications is a growing problem, especially in Utah; deaths attributable to prescription opioid ovedoses have more than tripled since 1999.

We are a partner organization of Use Only As Directed, a media and education campaign designed to prevent and reduce the misuse and abuse of prescription pain medications by providing information and strategies regarding safe use, storage, and disposal.

Visit UseOnlyAsDirected.org to find a drop-off box to properly dispose of unneeded prescription pain medication.