There is no single definition of prevention. However, there is general agreement among prevention researchers that the most effective approach to reducing alcohol, tobacco, and other drug problems is through a public health approach. Such an approach acknowledges the complexity of the interactions contributing to the development of problems.
Public health is concerned with disease and early death as they occur in populations.
Its goal is to apply strategies and programs to reduce rates of disease and early death among groups of people. Unlike clinical medicine, the focus of a public health approach is collective, not individual. Another distinctive feature of public health is that it focuses on communities, not individuals, and incorporates the perspective that communities are more than just groups of people. A public health model stresses that problems arise through a reciprocal relationship among the agent, the host, and the environment. Of particular importance to prevention are the environmental influences on alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use, especially for young people.