Strategies

What Works for Health includes evidence-informed strategies to create communities where everyone can thrive.

10 Strategies
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Administrative license suspension/revocation laws

Enable law enforcement to immediately take the license of a driver who fails or refuses to take a chemical test for alcohol
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Alcohol and drug use

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

Blood alcohol concentration laws

Set legal limits for drivers’ blood alcohol concentrations (BACs)
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Alcohol and drug use

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

Breath testing checkpoints

Implement checkpoints where law enforcement officers can stop drivers suspected of drinking and driving and assess their level of alcohol impairment
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Alcohol and drug use

Designated driver promotion programs

Encourage use of designated drivers via population-based mass media campaigns, incentive programs based in drinking establishments, and other efforts
Evidence Rating:
Insufficient Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Alcohol and drug use

Fentanyl test strip distribution programs

Provide free fentanyl test strips to detect the presence of fentanyl in different kinds of drugs and drug forms
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Alcohol and drug use

Good Samaritan drug overdose laws

Provide immunity from arrest, charges, or prosecution for drug possession or paraphernalia when individuals experiencing or witnessing drug overdose summon emergency services
Evidence Rating:
Expert Opinion

Community Conditions

  • Alcohol and drug use

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

Ignition interlock devices

Strengthen policies that mandate ignition interlock installation in vehicles to prevent operation by a driver with a high blood alcohol concentration
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Alcohol and drug use

Mass media campaigns against alcohol-impaired driving

Use mass media campaigns to persuade individuals to avoid drinking and driving or to prevent others from doing so; campaigns often focus on the negative consequences of alcohol-impaired driving
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Alcohol and drug use

Naloxone education & distribution programs

Distribute Naloxone to trained community members and first responders to reverse opioid overdoses
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Alcohol and drug use

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

Syringe services programs

Provide sterile injection equipment and often other treatment and referral services to people who inject drugs; also called needle or syringe exchange programs and needle syringe programs
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Alcohol and drug use

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies