ABSTRACT
Substance use disorders are serious behavioral health problems, and problematic substance use often leads to severe consequences for an individual’s own health and negatively impacts others’ lives. Preventing substance misuse and substance use disorders is imperative. The development of effective prevention intervention programs, including successful health promotion strategies, is complex mainly due to knowledge gaps and the presence of complicated contextual factors. If key interfering factors are overlooked, ineffective or counterproductive programs can, and do, result. For effective prevention of substance use disorders and their associated negative consequences, there is a need for planning systematic, theory-driven, and evidence-based health promotion programs. This chapter provides background information and a framework for the systematic development of health promotion programs for social workers and allied health professionals to apply in addressing substance misuse and related problems.
