PRevention Organizations and Community Coalitions
The One Choice message supports all — and does not compete with — other prevention efforts. One Choice is a prevention initiative of the non-profit Institute for Behavior and Health. IBH encourages prevention leaders and organizations that work with teens and young adults to:
Embrace the One Choice message with the science of the developing brain.
Promote teen self-care and autonomy.
Develop teen leadership in promoting One Choice.
Check out the One Choice Prevention Toolkit for ideas and tips for integrating the One Choice prevention message into your prevention messaging, activities, and events — and see here how a few organizations are using One Choice in their community:
Rye Action for Children & Teens (RyeACT) Community Coalition
Many young people feel like “the only one” when they make the healthy decision not to use alcohol, nicotine, and other drugs. But RyeACT youth leaders have a message to share with their peers: “...we want you to know that you are not alone. Because I Am One...let's make One Choice together.”
Teen leaders in RyeACT star in this I Am One public service announcement filmed by RyeTV.
As part of RyeACT’s I Am One campaign, in these cards, teens write why they make One Choice not to use any substances.
RyeACT’s Be the Harness campaign urges parents to set clear expectations for their teens about not using any alcohol or other drugs:
Download a sample campaign planning guide for youth leaders.
When young people get on a roller coaster, they push against the harness to test if it will hold and keep them safe. When our youth push against us, they are also testing to make sure we will protect them. Setting clear and consistent expectations about NOT drinking or using drugs helps keep youth safe and lets them know you care. —RyeACT
SafeLaunch
Utilizing the skills of a Navy-trained pilot, an artist, and a pure white airplane for a canvas, SafeLaunch, a 501(c)3 non-profit in Santa Barbara, CA, encourages families at aviation events across the country to experience the thrill of flying while learning about young people’s elevated risk of acquiring substance use disorder and how to prevent the disease. Having flown over 5000 hours, SafeLaunch co-founder CDR Ron Cuff tells young people, “Having a great life is like a great flight. In order to fly safely you need to set your sights on a destination, have a backup plan, be well trained, and keep your head clear.” Likewise, SafeLaunch supports the One Choice message by encouraging teens to make the solemn commitment not to use alcohol or other intoxicating drugs before age 21 for health.
At another SafeLaunch event, the names of 240 young people who lost their lives to drugs and are memorialized beneath the wings. The short, young lives displayed beneath the wings underscore the fact that the disease of addiction can happen to anyone. Janet Rowse explained that the Wind Beneath Our Wings memorial and the families left behind are what drives her passion saying, “Addiction is a 100% preventable disease that begins in childhood 90% of the time. I believe that when people understand the science of this cruel brain disease, they will unite to not just treat it, but more wisely, prevent it.”
Read more about SafeLaunch’s One Choice Initiative.
Ossining Communities That Care (OCTC)
OCTC brings together diverse community partners to foster well-being among young people and their families in Ossining, NY, maximizing opportunities for substance use prevention and social, academic, and personal growth through innovative youth-oriented programs. OCTC has integrated the One Choice message through its Youth to Youth Club where students put into their own words why they do not use any substances:
North Coastal Prevention Coalition
North Coastal Prevention Coalition (NCPC), a non-profit organization focused on youth drug prevention in the California cities of Carlsbad, Oceanside, and Vista has incorporated the One Choice message into its prevention efforts:
In March 2020 NCPC launched its annual Marijuana Prevention PSA Counter-Ad Contest highlighting One Choice:
Parents Opposed to Pot
In this video, Parents Opposed to Pot, a non-profit organization that aims to burst the “bubble of the marijuana hype” and counter the false narrative that marijuana is harmless, highlights the One Choice message and the national data showing that for teens, all youth substance use is related.
Collaborate with Us!
Collaborate with Us!
Let’s work together to improve all prevention in the interest of adolescent health. Share with us how your coalition and community is embracing the One Choice message.
Like what you see? Support Our Work!
Support the One Choice prevention initiative of the Institute for Behavior and Health, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, with a tax-deductible donation.
