Patterns of alcohol and drug use are situated within specific local contexts; and communities are often impacted by the outcomes of alcohol and drug use. If communities are encouraged to actively participate in alcohol and drug prevention, programmes can be tailored to local needs and embedded within existing social networks and institutions.

Often it is difficult to achieve true community representation in planning structures and to engage with particularly hard to reach groups even through local alcohol and drug community forums and groups. However, on a local level, if given the right support, different stakeholders in the community can come together in “partnerships, task forces, coalitions [or] action groups”. To achieve success, community models can benefit from being situated in a range of community settings such as families, schools, workplaces and entertainment venues.

For example, in 2014, Glasgow City Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) commissioned research on community perceptions around the impact of alcohol. The resulting Ripple Effect report (2016) recommends:  

The Scottish Government recognised the importance of community empowerment through the introduction of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. This Act gave new rights to community bodies and placed new duties on public sector authorities. It covered 11 different topics, including changing community planning to make it work better and encouraging participation in public decision-making.