The positive socialization of children in society takes place primarily in families, schools
continue this process, and then the environment helps guide them towards appropriate
behaviors by means of norms, laws and regulations that are consistently implemented.
Environmental prevention interventions aim to limit the opportunity for exposure to unhealthy
and risky behaviors and promote healthier choices. This is especially important in
environments where there are multiple triggers for risky behavior. Simply put, this is achieved
by changing the context in which behaviour, such as the use of psychoactive substances,
takes place, either at the level of society or in specific places, liquor stores, public places or
places of entertainment. We divide environmental interventions into three main categories:
regulatory (e.g. passing laws that control the availability of psychoactive substances),
physical (e.g. decorating coffee shops – making it difficult to consume alcohol quickly and
excessively, designing glasses so that people seem to drink more alcohol than they really do
include, free public transport per night) and economic (e.g. high taxes on tobacco products,
financial support to encourage healthy choices, strict alcohol policies, reductions in the price
of soft drinks, including water in places like cafes and bars.). The goal is to make the
healthier choice the easiest option.

Environmental preventive are universal in their focus on the broadest possible audience,
including both those who use and those who do not use psychoactive substances, and such
are the majority. In such interventions, the environment is indirectly used to influence the
population, without direct contact with that population, as is the case with interventions
school or family settings. These interventions involve identifying threats in the environment,
developing interventions that can influence them, and interventions for individuals exposed to
these threats. Healthy environments are positive spaces that strengthen the positive aspects
of society and weaken negative influences.
Preventive activities should be part of a long-term strategy, and the probability of their
success in promoting healthier behavior will be higher when environmental preventive
policies are implemented along with them.
Association for Addiction Prevention NARKO-NE, together with the Federal Ministry of
Education and Science, coordinates and leads the process of creating the first
comprehensive Strategy for the Prevention of Addiction in Federation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina. Also, NARKO-NE is part of the working group for the development of alcohol
policies for the protection of children and youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is led by
the Youth Education Center Travnik.
NARKO-NE conducts training on the European prevention curriculum, which is the basis for
the education of local and regional decision and policy makers and public opinion makers
who deal with problems related to the use of psychoactive substances.