Children who are subjected to negative or bad environments are more likely to use drugs and alcohol. There are many alcohol and drug awareness and prevention programs. The South Carolina Afterschool Alliance program provides groups and organizations with an effective afterschool program plan. After-school programs are essential for promoting awareness and prevention of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, abstinence and violence among young children or adolescents. The South Carolina Afterschool Alliance program strives to reach out to the community and explain the importance of afterschool programs. They provide information and guidelines to organizations and groups on how to establish effective after-school programs. The program offers activities and lesson plans to engage children while having fun and learning at the same time. Making extracurricular activities different from school lessons determines the effectiveness of programs. . The overall goal of the South Carolina Afterschool Alliance is to establish a statewide network of diverse stakeholders who will guide, support, and enable quality afterschool services and policies for all children and youth (ASCAA , 1969). Guidance and support are the two main effective tools for keeping children involved in after-school programs rather than drugs or gangs. Children who are prone to walking home alone or staying home alone in neighborhoods with bad drugs are more influenced by drug use than suburban children. areas. Typically, poor households are found in social environments where drugs and violence are common. Mooney, Knox, and Schacht (2011) write: “Drugs are a social problem not only because of their harmful effects on individuals, but also because of the negative side...... middle of paper .... ..ren return home to an empty and lonely house, without food. For some children, after-school programs are all the hope they have. It only takes one person to influence change in a child's life. Works cited: Benavente, J. (2006). Extracurricular activities can change a child's life. Colorado State University Extension. Family and Consumer Science, Adams County (1 page). Retrieved from: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/columncc/cc060905.htmlMooney, L., Knox, D., & Schacht, C. (2011). Understand social problems. Wadsworth Cengage Learning. 8-16.Web Resources: ASCAA. (1969). South Carolina Afterschool Alliance. Retrieved from: http://www.scafterschool.com/index.php?pageid=3Learning Point Associates, Top Five Reasons Why Afterschool Programs Are on the Rise. (1pp). Retrieved from: http://www.learningpt.org/pdfs/afterschool/TopFiveReasons.pdf