Founded in 1978, the Institute for Behavior and Health (IBH) has been a force for good, guided by a mission to reduce illegal substance use and strengthen prevention and treatment. Led by Dr. Robert L. DuPont, a leader in substance abuse prevention and treatment for 50 years, IBH focuses on research, education, and advocacy to prevent substance use and support healthier communities. The nonprofit emphasizes collaboration and coalition building and works with leaders in public policy, addiction treatment, medicine, law, and toxicology to promote new ideas that are affordable and scalable.
Just as important, IBH believes that knowledge can lead to lasting, positive change and the organization shares what it learns by bringing research out of the academic world and into our communities through speaking engagements at national conferences, media engagement, and publications in leading journals.
One of IBH’s flagship programs is One Choice Prevention, which was born from a simple but powerful idea: that substance use prevention works best when it begins early and is grounded in facts. The goal of the program is to encourage no use of any alcohol, nicotine, cannabis/THC, or other drugs by young people before age 21 for health reasons. Through collaboration with schools, families, and community leaders, the program provides in-person workshops, classroom discussions, and community-based trainings that give teens clear, fact-based information, without scare tactics, before substance use becomes an issue.
61% of high school seniors haven’t used any substances, such as alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, or other drugs, in the past month, and 35% have never used any at all.
One Choice Prevention has reframed how we think about youth substance use prevention – from assuming substance use by young people is inevitable to recognizing that when they are informed and supported, they feel more confident making the choice not to use substances. As a result, the program has normalized substance non-use by young people, and a growing percentage are choosing not to use any alcohol, nicotine, marijuana or other drugs.
At its heart, IBH exemplifies the power of using knowledge to change and save lives, one choice at a time. Nazareth Bonifacino Law is proud to support IBH with protection of their intellectual property.