Substance Abuse

Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) often face barriers to health care services, a shortage of prevention programs and human services, and a lack of attention as shown by the scarcity of data that has been collected among this often neglected population. Existing data points to alcohol use and smoking as concerns among AAPI youth. Since October 2007, The Asian Health Coalition (AHC) has been leading the effort for developing and implementing a comprehensive program for substance abuse prevention in the Asian communities of Chicago, including Bridgeport, Armor Square and Uptown.

The Substance Abuse Prevention Program (SAPP) builds, sustains, and coordinates the substance abuse prevention strategies of the Coalition for Asian Substance Abuse Prevention (CASAP), and the Uptown Coalition for a Healthier Community (UCHC). 

Overview 

The goals of the SAPP are to (1) prevent adolescent substance use; (2) decrease rates of alcohol and tobacco abuse among adults and youth; and (3) build capacity at the community-level to address substance abuse-related issues, and promote health and well-being in Chicago. 

The program targets risk and protective factors for substance abuse at the individual, family and environmental levels through a comprehensive approach, which includes individual programming, media campaigns, media advocacy, and collaboration with law enforcement in the Chicago neighborhoods of Armour Square, Bridgeport, and Uptown.

Coalition Building 

The Substance Abuse Prevention Program (SAPP) established two community-based, multi-sector coalitions to ensure the cultural competency and sustainability of its substance abuse prevention efforts.  These coalitions are the Coalition for Asian Substance Abuse Prevention (CASAP) of Armour Square and Bridgeport, and the Uptown Coalition for a healthier Community (UCHC). 

Strategic Prevention Framework 

This program utilizes the Substance Abuse and Mental health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) to develop prevention strategies that are evidence-based, culturally tailored, multi-cultural, and sustainable.  The SPF is built on a community-based, risk and protective factor approach to prevention. 

The Strategic Prevention Framework allows communities to systematically:

1. Assess their prevention needs based on epidemiological data,
2. Build their prevention capacity through coalitions,
   
3. Develop a strategic plan,
4. Implement effective community prevention programs, policies and practices, and
5. Evaluate their efforts for outcomes.

The Substance Abuse Prevention Program is currently funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS).

Contact: For more information on this program, please contact Meme Wang at (312) 372-7070 ext. 229, or meme@asianhealth.org.