Strategies

Delay school start times for middle and high schools to better align with adolescent sleep-wake cycles; often until 8:30 a.m. or later

Allow eligible patients to use marijuana for medical purposes; often called medical marijuana laws (MMLs)

Establish programs that connect students at risk of dropping out with trained adult mentors who provide ongoing guidance for academic and personal challenges

Maintain the current legal age when an individual can purchase alcoholic beverages; currently 21 years in all states

Support a combination of land uses (e.g., residential, commercial, recreational) in development initiatives, often through zoning regulations or Smart Growth initiatives

Distribute Naloxone to trained community members and first responders to reverse opioid overdoses

Teach positively stated behavior expectations to all students, often reinforced with prizes or privileges and supported with coaching and data

Allow adults to possess a limited amount of marijuana for personal, non-medical use; often called recreational marijuana laws (RMLs)

Repeal government control over retail sales of alcoholic beverages, allowing commercial retailing of those beverages

Promote walking and biking to school through education, incentives, and environmental changes; often called SRTS