Community Education Programs | Drug Prevention and Early Intervention Education for Parents and Youth

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Working together with key community stakeholders focused on prevention, treatment, health care, education and law enforcement, The Partnership at Drugfree.org developed a series of research-based, multimedia community education programs designed specifically to inform parents about today’s drug and alcohol landscape, equip them to be more effective in dealing with these issues and help them raise healthy teens.

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PACT360 contains five key programs – Meth360^®, Parents360, Youth360, Latino360 and Padres360 – and is designed to complement and not supplant existing local prevention efforts. All five programs can be customized with local statistics, real-person stories and events and first-hand experiences of the presenters, to reflect the unique needs and issues of the community. This multi-dimensional approach highlights the powerful impact local efforts can have on individual families and communities.

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How communities put into practice the PACT360 programs is wide-ranging from implementation into probation programs to community development plans to individual efforts by local community service organizations that address the needs of parents and youth, parent teacher organizations and community watch groups. Communities across the country have used the PACT360 programs in numerous ways to reach parents and teens, and most importantly, the various uses of the program underscores the importance of community partners working together to bring these issues to the forefront.

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“These programs are extremely informative and cover all aspects of drug and alcohol abuse. They deliver comprehensive information about every side of the issue, and quite honestly, I wish these programs were mandatory everywhere. It could quite possibly save lives, and our goal is to have it reach enough people to make a significant impact.” – Sgt. Jim Cox, Fairfax County, VA Police Dept.

Meth360

Meth360^® is a meth prevention program uniting law enforcement, treatment and prevention professionals to deliver prevention education presentations to local communities. The audience learns about all aspects of meth from experts with diverse perspectives on the issue. Informative and motivational, Meth360 also challenges concerned citizens to educate themselves about the dangers of meth and take action to stop the spread of this dangerous drug.

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Parents360

Parents360 (Parents: You Matter) is designed to help parents understand, prevent, and address drug and alcohol issues. The multi-media presentation, “Parents: You Matter,” educates parents of teens and tweens about why kids use drugs and alcohol, what parents can do to protect their children, how to communicate with their kids, monitor their activities, spot drug and alcohol use, and what a parent should do when they find it. The presentation contains a number of videos, including public service announcements developed by The Partnership at Drugfree.org, first person stories, and information from experts. Drug-specific educational modules allow presenters to customize the program to local needs, offering parents relevant information about the risks of drugs to their teens.

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Youth360

Youth360 (wreckED) is a teen-oriented substance abuse prevention education program that teaches teens (15-19 years old) about the realities and consequences of substance use. The program encourages teens to think more introspectively about their own and their friends’ behavior regarding alcohol/drugs, and to consider the associated consequences of getting involved. The program also motivates them to be proactive in “looking out” for their friends who may be engaging in unhealthy behaviors.

Youth360 starts out with a video depicting all aspects of the contemporary drug and alcohol scene that is part of the teen life today, and incorporates a special interactive card game, designed to stimulate conversations, and focuses on the issues presented in the video, simulating real life choices, behaviors, and consequences.

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En Español

Latino360 (A través del Cristal Meth) brings Meth360 to the Hispanic community, with a new presentation specifically tailored to reflect the unique needs of the Spanish-speaking community in the U.S. This program encourages parents and concerned adults to educate themselves on the dangers of meth, and provides them with tools and resources to protect their children from this dangerous drug. The presentation not only highlights the devastating effects of crystal meth on the individual and on the community, but it also underscores the need for parents to further educate themselves about the dangers of the drug and start talking to teens about the dangers.

Along with Latino360, The Partnership at Drugfree.org developed Padres360, a new community education program that provides parents and other caring adults with valuable insights into why kids use, how parents can start the dialogue, and what steps to take if they suspect or know their child is using.

Other Spanish-language information and programs are available to Hispanic parents to continue to educate them, and address the drug and alcohol scene as a whole, and what parents can do to prevent these issues with their teens. These resources can be found in the En Español section of this site.

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