Prevention education is a powerful tool for equipping students with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions. Traditionally, prevention efforts have focused on issues like substance use, bullying, and sexual violence, but today’s students face a broader range of challenges.
Modern prevention education also addresses:
- Mental health awareness (stress management, suicide prevention)
- Digital safety (cyberbullying, online harassment, social media risks)
- Healthy relationships (consent, bystander intervention, online dating risks)
- Fentanyl and vaping awareness, which have become urgent concerns
By integrating proactive education into student conduct programming, schools and colleges can create safer, healthier learning environments where students thrive.
What are some benefits of incorporating prevention education into your student conduct programming?
- Reduced Costs of Negative Consequences
Prevention education minimizes the costs associated with student substance use. Why? Because students under the influence often make poor decisions that lead to:
- Property damage
- Accidents and injuries
- Overdose scares and ER visits
- Conflicts with peers
- Late-night disturbances and sleep disorders
- Mental health crises like anxiety or panic attacks
- Disruptions to academic performance
Research has shown that students who participate in prevention education programs are less likely to engage in high-risk behaviors, leading to fewer incidents that require costly interventions.
- Increases in student retention/attendance
A student struggling with substance use or mental health challenges is more likely to:
- Miss classes due to hangovers, anxiety, or recovery time
- Struggle with focus and memory
- Experience declining grades and academic performance
Studies show that students who complete prevention education courses spend less time under the influence and more time engaged in learning. This leads to:
- Higher academic achievement
- Better retention and graduation rates
- Improved student engagement
In higher education, this translates to stronger institutional rankings and long-term student success.
- Reduction in student violations
Prevention programs help reduce student misconduct, leading to fewer disciplinary actions and less administrative burden.
When secondary schools rely on detention or suspension for alcohol or drug-related violations, it often widens the achievement gap. Keeping students in the classroom—rather than removing them from learning environments—supports long-term academic growth.
Colleges that incorporate prevention education into student conduct programs have seen a decline in sanction enrollments over time, demonstrating the long-term impact of proactive education.
- Improved mental health of students
Substance use and mental health are deeply connected. Prevention education programs help students:
- Recognize the consequences of their decisions
- Manage stress and peer pressure in healthy ways
- Develop coping skills to navigate challenges
Mental health services are a major investment for schools and colleges, but proactive prevention programs can reduce the demand on counseling centers by addressing issues before they escalate.
- Better rankings and reputation
Prospective college students and their parents look at a lot of factors when considering a college choice. Courses of study, well-known professors, location, and reputation are among them.
At the secondary level, high schools and middle schools are ranked yearly. While parents may not be able to choose a different school based on this information, hiring and firing decisions at the administrative level sometimes hinge on a school’s ranking or score. Parents may also opt out of traditional public schools, which affects funding.
Academic achievement is critical to a campus’ reputation, ranking, or score, so it’s a good idea to address it both proactively and reactively wherever possible.
- Better educators
Students aren’t the only ones shopping around. Teachers and professors are shopping around for the best work environment as well. Maintaining reputation, campus safety, and academic achievement can actually help you recruit the teachers and professors that will help keep your academics strong.
Alcohol Wise, our alcohol prevention program, has been shown to reduce peak BAC levels, increase student retention rates, increase student achievement and GPA, and reduce negative consequences. For more information, download our white paper to see what kinds of benefits other campuses have been experiencing using Alcohol Wise as alcohol prevention education for incoming freshmen.
