The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) is a United States agency under the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). CSAP's mission is to reduce the use of illegal substances and the abuse of legal ones.
CSAP promotes self-esteem and cultural pride as a way to reduce the attractiveness of drugs, advocates raising taxes as a way to discourage drinking alcohol by young people, develops alcohol and drug curricula, and funds research on alcohol and drug abuse prevention. CSAP encourages the use of "evidence-based programs" for drug and alcohol prevention. Evidence-based programs are programs that have been rigorously and scientifically evaluated to show effectiveness in reducing or preventing drug use.
The current director of CSAP is Frances Harding.
History and legal definition
CSAP was established in 1992 from the previous Office of Substance Abuse Prevention by the law called the ADAMHA Reorganization Act. Defining regulations include those of Title 42.