FOCUS AREAS

Interactive Tools

Drug Strategies led the way in leveraging internet technology to reach audiences most likely to use it at the time: teens. These internet-based, interactive tools were revolutionary, providing a way for young people to get the information they needed in a way that felt natural for them.

Bubblemonkey

Developed by Drug Strategies, BubbleMonkey was a groundbreaking interactive website that provided youth with accurate, anonymous information on drugs, substance abuse, and treatment. As an accessible, educational resource, BubbleMonkey gave adolescents a place to ask questions and safely learn about drugs and alcohol. (BubbleMonkey was available in Spanish as well.)

Tunnel Tail

Tunnel Tail, a highly engaging game built to highlight important drug abuse prevention concepts, was developed for the BEST Foundation by Schell Games in consultation with Drug Strategies.

Tunnel Tail was launched as a free app in the fall of 2012. By June 2013, there had been more than 310,000 downloads. Of this group, 40 percent were active players. An initial survey of 220 players in May 2013 found encouraging evidence that Tunnel Tail improved adolescent players’ ability to identify pressuring situations as well as recognize and practice healthy responses.

The Tunnel Tail game was a finalist at the 2012 Serious Games Challenge, runner-up for overall best digital game at Meaningful Play 2012, and finalist for the 2013 International Serious Play Award.

View Paper: Tunnel Tail: A New Approach to Prevention (Games for Health, 2014)

Teen Substance Use: Online Resources for Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery

This groundbreaking website was designed to help parents, teens, and professionals find accurate and reliable information related to teen substance use prevention, education, treatment, and recovery.

Drug Strategies’ team of experts created a searchable database that could be used to access online resources that fit each individual’s unique need. Innovative in its time, this website was accessible through computers as well as on smartphones and other hand-held devices.

Since its launch, several online resources have used the Teen Substance Use website as a guide to create more robust databases.