Alternative activities provide targeted populations with opportunities to participate in a range of selected substance-free environments. Many alternative approaches consist of activities intended to challenge individuals in safe but novel situations. There was a proliferation of alternative activities in prevention programs following the spread of the concept of natural highs along with the diffusion of the New Games movement in the late 1970s. Alternative activities, as a prevention strategy, should be part of a broader comprehensive prevention program that includes other strategies with demonstrated effectiveness. When functioning as part of an integrated prevention plan, alternative activities help stimulate individual motivation and can help generate increased public and media attention on substance abuse issues, as well as on the critical importance of having ongoing prevention efforts.

Theoretical ...