Other 'What Works' Topics
Adolescent Health and Safety
By Juliet L. Hatcher, M.P.H., and Juliet Scarpa
TABLE 1 TABLE 2 TABLE 3 TABLE 4 TABLE 5 TABLE 6 TABLE 7
Tobacco Use Physical Activity and Nutrition Sleep Dental Health Unintentional Injuries: Motor Vehicles Unintentional Injuries: Bicycles Occupational Injuries
Adolescent Health and Safety

  Experimental Research Studies Non-Experimental Research Studies
Unintentional Injuries, Risk Behaviors and Safety Habits-
Overall, and Motor Vehicle-related
- School-based programs designed to prevent drinking and driving behaviors by increasing awareness of the risks associated with drinking and driving and by preparing adolescents with ways to deal with drinking and driving situations and with the pressures commonly encountered in these situations. [Can decrease serious traffic offenses and occurrence of riding with a drunk driver]

- Communities, with the help of a hired community organizer, that initiate a variety of activities and programs to prevent motor vehicle crashes and related outcomes or behaviors. Possible community activities include mass media campaigns, modifications to alcohol retailer policies and practices, and law enforcement changes. [Can decrease drinking and driving behaviors.]

- Students Against Driving Drunk (SADD), at least when not fully implemented.

- Driver Education. [Effect depends on driver education's influence on age at licensure.]

Individual Level
- Prevent risky behaviors (such as substance use and reckless driving) and promote safety habits (such as use of seatbelts ,and of helmets) using approaches detailed in this table.

- Address childhood aggression.

-Prevent and treat conduct problems.

-Instill in adolescents a realistic sense of their ability to drive after drinking.

-Instill in adolescents the belief that drinking and driving is dangerous and undesirable.

-Enhance the value that adolescents place on safety concerns.

Communitiy Level
-Implement community-based activities to discourage drinking and driving, such as awareness days, business information programs, information sessions, alcohol-free events at high schools, media campaigns, and increased surveillance at liquor stores.

Policy Level
-Delay full licensure among adolescents (graduated driver licensing) and place restrictions on driving at night (curfew laws).

-Lower the legal blood alcohol concentration limit for young drivers.

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