Substance use prevention through school and community-based health promotion: a transdisciplinary approach from Iceland

Abstract

During the last decade, Iceland has made impressive progress in reducing adolescent substance use. By engaging schools, youth organizations, and other community stakeholders concerned with youth development, Iceland has developed local partnerships that have worked assiduously to reduce risk factors and strengthen school and community-level protective factors for adolescent substance use that peaked in 1998. The nationwide implementation of this transdisciplinary approach to health promotion has led to a 60% decline in both experimentation and use of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis. This article describes the key components of the Icelandic approach to school and community-based health promotion. The potential for adapting elements of this approach to advance school-based healthcare policy and practice to prevent substance use and other health-compromising behaviors in other countries is discussed.