Strategic Planning Presentation

Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use and abuse is one of the most costly and complex social and public health issues in the nation, with annual costs estimated to be $442 billion dollars due to death and disability, drug-related crime and violence, abuse and neglect of children, decreased productivity, and increased health care costs. Substance abuse is also an extremely complex and challenging issue because it is influenced and shaped by an array of social, cultural, biological and structural (e.g., political and economic) factors that cross sectors and disciplines.

The good news is that significant and sustainable reductions in ATOD-related problems can be achieved—often with less time and expense than some may believe possible—when the following things are in place:

• A deep understanding of where and why the problems occur and who is impacted and involved in them
• A strategic plan of action that targets the key factors that drive the problem, and has the commitment of partners to take the actions needed to influence or control those factors
• A system for monitoring outcomes during the implementation of the plan and making midcourse corrections as needed