Planet Youth was developed from the Icelandic Prevention Model – a theory-based approach with demonstrated effectiveness in reducing substance use in Iceland for over 20 years. The Planet Youth Guidance Program is designed to strengthen protective factors, mitigate risk factors, and build healthy community environments for positive youth development by focusing on key domains in the local school-community: Family, peer group, leisure (out-of-school) time, and school.

The Planet Youth Guidance Program is a population-wide primary prevention process designed to have a long-term impact in communities on reducing youth substance use through creating a healthy built environment. Planet Youth treats society as “the patient“ and believes that building a community environment that delays the onset of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs for as long as possible is an effective approach to reducing the long-term health problems related to youth substance use. Planet Youth is: