Youth Prevention Leaders Reference Sheet
Youth Advocacy & Leadership Orientation
UPSTREAM ADVOCACY ADVOCATE GUIDE
Core Frameworks & Strategies
FOUNDATIONAL THEORY — SIDE A
What is a Substance Use Prevention Coalition? A prevention coalition is a partnership of diverse community sectors (youth, parents, schools, business, media, and local government) working together to make our community healthier and safer. We don't focus on treating individual cases or peer counseling; instead, we work collectively to transform local conditions, commercial spaces, and social rules so that healthy defaults are available to every single youth.
Equity & Prevention
Equity means making sure everyone has the specific resources and support they need to thrive. In prevention, equity means looking at systemic barriers (like economic disinvestment or discrimination) and ensuring we focus our protection on neighborhoods that have been unfairly targeted by high-risk retail marketing.
Upstream vs. Downstream
The River Metaphor
Imagine people falling into a fast-moving river. Downstream efforts focus on pulling them out and treating them (one-on-one therapy, rehab). Upstream prevention walks up the mountain, asks "Why are people falling in?" and builds a sturdy, secure fence at the top of the cliff so nobody falls in the first place.
★ Community-Level over Peer-to-Peer
Our coalition focuses strictly on community-level systems and zoning, not peer-to-peer counseling. We construct physical and legal fences upstream.
Levels of Prevention
Primary Prevention (Our Focus) SYSTEMS SHIFT
Stop problems before they ever start. We modify laws, limit density, and build supportive environments.
Secondary Prevention (Early Stage) CATCH IT
Early intervention for youth displaying active risks. e.g., screening programs or targeted support.
Tertiary Prevention (Treatment) RECOVER
Treatment, medical recovery, and clinical crisis management. e.g., individual medical therapy.
What Works vs. What Doesn't
🚨 Does Not Work
- Fear-based "scare tactics"
- One-time assemblies
- Just saying "no" campaigns
- Treating only individuals
✨ What Works!
- Passing local retail laws
- Limiting retail density
- Promoting social norms
- Systemic policy advocacy
The 4 Ps of Environment
We look at how commercial environments target youth by examining the 4 Ps of Marketing:
Product Flavored vapes, colorful toys.
Price Cheap single sales, discounts.
Place Stores located close to schools.
Promotion Bright signs, social media ads.
The Party Planning Model
You cannot throw an incredible party by buying a cake and hoping for the best. Jumping straight into a strategy without planning, data, and co-hosts fails. We follow a strict cycle:
1. Assess: Gather data. Who is coming? What are the food allergies and music tastes?
2. Build Capacity: Get your co-hosts together, divide roles, and align resources.
3. Plan: Design the schedule, choose a safe venue, and draft backup budgets/weather plans.
4. Act: Set up, turn on the music, execute the plan, and welcome everyone.
5. Evaluate: Did they enjoy it? What can we change to make the next party better?
© 2026 Youth Prevention Coalition. All rights reserved.
UPSTREAM ORIENTATION GUIDE — SIDE A
Youth Advocacy & Action
GLOSSARY & ORIENTATION LESSONS
Alphabetical terms & Interactive metaphors
LEXICON & ACTIVITIES — SIDE B
Orientation Glossary
Commercial Determinants of Health The marketing, pricing, and retail maneuvers that corporations use to sell high-risk products (vapes, alcohol) targeting young consumers.
Connectedness The degree to which a youth feels safe, valued, and integrated in community structures (school, family, local parks). It is a vital shield against risk.
Environmental Prevention Changing local laws, commercial spaces, retail pricing, and advertising rules to make healthy default choices accessible to everyone in a community.
Equity in Prevention Dismantling systemic inequalities to ensure every neighborhood and population has the exact resources and protection they need to stay safe.
Policy, Systems, & Environmental (PSE) Change Altering local codes (policy), structural protocols (systems), or community layout (environment) to sustain positive population-level shifts.
Primary Prevention Strategic, upstream steps taken to build protective environments and address risk factors before any health harms can occur.
Risk & Protective Factors Risk: Environmental conditions that increase harm (e.g., vape shops near schools). Protective: Conditions that build safety (e.g., safe parks).
Social Norms Marketing Using local survey data to correct the false myth that "everyone vapes" and show that non-use is actually the standard local majority choice.
Stigma & Person-First Language
| Use (Person-First) | Avoid (Stigmatizing) |
|---|
| Person with a substance use disorder | Addict / Junkie / Drug abuser |
| Person in active recovery | Clean person / Ex-addict |
Panera vs. Uber Eats
How do we deploy community support systems?
Panera (Downstream): We open a center and expect struggling, isolated individuals to travel to us to receive health services.
Uber Eats (Upstream): We shift systems to deliver protective resources and safety directly into the neighborhoods where youth already are.
Tower Communication Activity
During our building block communication test, we saw that instructions with zero feedback fail:
Round 1 (One-Way): No questions allowed. Leads to high error, misaligned blocks, and weak towers.
Round 2 (Two-Way): Unlimited questions. Leads to high-speed alignment, structural accuracy, and tall towers.
Youth-Adult Partnerships
When building youth-led advocacy programs, we unite our unique inventory of strengths to form a powerful team:
Youth Strengths:
Lived context, peer trust, culture, creativity.
Adult Strengths:
Systemic access, funding, history, resources.
Active Learning Reminders When reviewing our Orientation Case Study, use this sheet to audit environments, look for the 4 Ps, check for equity gaps, and recall the podcast episode to connect theory with actual, real-world community reform. Take physical breaks, move your body, and keep the momentum high!
© 2026 Youth Prevention Coalition. All rights reserved.
UPSTREAM ORIENTATION GUIDE — SIDE B
