Giving Compass' Take:

• This report by FrameWorks Institute outlines communication strategies related to reducing adolescent substance use and abuse.

• How can philanthropists become more involved in communication research and encourage dialogues concerning public health issues? 

• Learn about how to reframe mindsets on aging and ageism. 

While many voices are engaged in public discussion about substance use these days, the importance of preventing use among young people too easily falls out of the conversation. While advocates and pundits debate the legalization of marijuana and treatments for opioid use—legitimate issues that certainly warrant our attention—too little attention is paid to prevention and early intervention for adolescents, and too little focus is placed on public health approaches that can keep young people from developing substance use problems in the first place.

People tend to see alcohol and other drug use as a social issue and have a hard time recognizing that it is also a health issue. Because people generally don’t understand the ways in which substance use impacts healthy development, they tend to assume that it is best handled by parents, teachers, or supportive peers, and typically don’t see the value of a public health approach that draws on the expertise and capacity of primary care providers.

To develop a way of framing adolescent substance use capable of addressing misconceptions and moving the issue into the center of our public conversation, the FrameWorks Institute has engaged in mixed method empirical research, supported by grants from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Using Strategic Frame Analysis®, we have arrived at reliable, research-based recommendations for reframing the issue. This report outlines the findings from a series of interrelated investigations aimed at identifying framing tools and techniques capable of elevating the public discussion

We hope these findings will encourage members of the field to consider new ways of talking about adolescent substance use prevention. For instance, we hope that in documenting the importance of explanatory strategies, these findings will prompt communicators to reevaluate the persuasive techniques that have characterized the field’s most visible and memorable campaigns—techniques that seek to shock audiences rather than cultivate greater understanding.

Read the full report about reframing adolescent substance use by Andrew Volmert, Julie Sweetland, and Nat Kendall-Taylor at FrameWorks Institute