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Why Community-Based Prevention Works: The Icelandic Youth Model Explained
In this episode of Drug Education Forum, we speak with Morgan Moore, National Delivery Manager at Planet Youth, about the Icelandic Youth Model and how it is being applied in Scotland to prevent problematic drug and alcohol use among young people.
The Icelandic Youth Model focuses on prevention at a community level. Rather than relying solely on drug education or individual interventions, it looks at family life, peer groups, after-school activities, community cohesion, and how young people spend their time outside of school.
We discuss how local data is gathered and used to understand risk factors within specific communities, how that data informs targeted interventions, and what this approach teaches us about preventing harmful patterns of behaviour before they develop.
This conversation is aimed at professionals working with young people, including those in education, youth services, public health, drug and alcohol services, and local authorities.
⸻
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction and overview of the conversation
01:30 – Origins of the Icelandic Youth Model
04:30 – Why Iceland took a different approach to prevention
08:20 – How Planet Youth applies the model in Scotland
12:00 – Natural highs, protective factors, and after-school time
17:30 – Why information alone does not prevent problematic drug use
21:00 – The limits of traditional drug education approaches
25:00 – Funding challenges and long-term prevention outcomes
29:30 – Using local data to guide community interventions
33:00 – What professionals can learn from the model
37:30 – Why community context matters in drug prevention
41:00 – Scaling the model across the UK
44:00 – Final thoughts and where to learn more
⸻
🔗 Links & Resources
Planet Youth
https://planetyouth.org
Drug Education Forum
https://drugeducationforum.com
View all episodes
By drugeducationforum3In this episode of Drug Education Forum, we speak with Morgan Moore, National Delivery Manager at Planet Youth, about the Icelandic Youth Model and how it is being applied in Scotland to prevent problematic drug and alcohol use among young people.
The Icelandic Youth Model focuses on prevention at a community level. Rather than relying solely on drug education or individual interventions, it looks at family life, peer groups, after-school activities, community cohesion, and how young people spend their time outside of school.
We discuss how local data is gathered and used to understand risk factors within specific communities, how that data informs targeted interventions, and what this approach teaches us about preventing harmful patterns of behaviour before they develop.
This conversation is aimed at professionals working with young people, including those in education, youth services, public health, drug and alcohol services, and local authorities.
⸻
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction and overview of the conversation
01:30 – Origins of the Icelandic Youth Model
04:30 – Why Iceland took a different approach to prevention
08:20 – How Planet Youth applies the model in Scotland
12:00 – Natural highs, protective factors, and after-school time
17:30 – Why information alone does not prevent problematic drug use
21:00 – The limits of traditional drug education approaches
25:00 – Funding challenges and long-term prevention outcomes
29:30 – Using local data to guide community interventions
33:00 – What professionals can learn from the model
37:30 – Why community context matters in drug prevention
41:00 – Scaling the model across the UK
44:00 – Final thoughts and where to learn more
⸻
🔗 Links & Resources
Planet Youth
https://planetyouth.org
Drug Education Forum
https://drugeducationforum.com