Can we really change behaviour at a population level? The Communities that Care approach to preventing and reducing drug and alcohol-related behaviour in Australia.

Overview:

Originating in the US, Communities that Care is a public health prevention framework that has been operating in Australia for 25 years.

Over 30 Local Government Areas have used the framework to reduce alcohol consumption, injuries and crime. In the US it has been used to also reduce smoking, cannabis and depression. An Australian cost benefit analysis has shown that using the CTC approach to adolescent alcohol consumption has a return of investment of $2.60.

This presentation outlines the Communities that Care model and how communities can use the model. It also presents findings from the National Australian Cluster Randomised Control Trial, and other national and international longitudinal evidence.

Watch the presentation

About the presenter

Dr Bosco Rowland is a Statistician and Senior Research Fellow with the Eastern Health Clinical School, at Monash University.

His research, teaching, leadership and service focuses on developing and testing social behavioural principles on real world public health problems. In particular, he examines behaviours associated with health, social and emotional development and the role of risk and protective factors, nationally and cross-nationally (Australia, India, USA, Netherlands and across the Asia Pacific).