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N ationally, drug use and related overdoses have steadily increased by at least 6% to 14% each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (Rudd, Aleshire, Zibbell, & Gladden, 2016). Alcohol and drug use is an escalating problem and is often associated with a variety of medical conditions, increased emergency department (ED) visits, and poor outcomes. Many substance abuse patients frequent the ED and are admitted for inpatient care. These patients commonly leave against medical advice, thus producing higher healthcare costs (Pecoraro et al., 2012). The authors hypothesize that drug use and related issues could be reduced with standardized substance abuse education offered throughout childhood and adolescence. While some prevention programs exist, the educational content varies widely and many of the programs fall below the recommended CDC guidelines (Zimlich, 2016). The authors suggest implementing a standardized program, such as the Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT), which can be customized to fit local needs and could provide consistent messaging needed to mitigate risky behavior in childhood and adolescence (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2017). While a standardized curriculum is a step in the right direction, successful implementation requires community buy-in, school corporation support, and funding. According to Little, Pokhrel, Sussman, and Rohrbach (2015), factors influencing successful adoption of prevention programs include establishing an accepting attitude toward the program’s potential success and securing the necessary funding. Adoption of such programs occurs when community and organizational relationships are directly linked. When prevention programs were implemented, negative health outcomes among adolescents decreased (2015). It is extremely important for one to understand that if the community and organization do not work together, adoption of the prevention program is unlikely. The program administrator’s beliefs and values on implementing childhood drug and alcohol education may play a role in the process of adopting substance abuse programs (Little et al., 2015). There are other factors to consider in adoption of a program including the size of the organization and the fund appropriation. It is thought that the larger the organization, the more external support they may receive for prevention education and that funding plays a major role in whether prevention education is implemented. Public funds are critical to make these programs available to adolescents. When discussing funds, it is important to note that personal opinions of the effectiveness of such programs can often play a role in whether funds are made available (2015). To integrate prevention programs successfully into the school’s curriculum, the program must be appealing to administrators and school staff. One way to accomplish this is to bring awareness to the negative outcomes associated with substance abuse. Increasing educational awareness may have the ability to lower health risks and improve academic outcomes. Current limitations include program funding and geographical cultural beliefs and values (Little et al., 2015). The purpose of this article is threefold: 1) to increase awareness of a spiraling community problem related to substance abuse and addiction, 2) to share findings from a small sample research study related to early education, drug, and alcohol use, and 3) to gain an understanding of the potential effect of early childhood education related to the use of drugs and alcohol.

Increasing Awareness of Substance Abuse and Addictions: Does Early Childhood Drug Education Provide Diversion from Using Drugs and/or Alcohol?