Children who are subjected to negative or bad environments are more likely to turn to drugs and alcohol. There are many programs that bring awareness and prevention to alcohol and drugs. The South Carolina Afterschool Alliance program provides groups and organizations with an effective after-school program plan. After-school programs are essential to promote awareness and prevention of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, abstinence and violence in young children and adolescents. The South Carolina Afterschool Alliance program is committed to reaching out to the community and explaining the importance of afterschool programs. They provide information and guidance to organizations and groups on how to organize effective after-school programs. The program includes activities and lesson plans to engage children while having fun and learning at the same time. Differentiating after-school activities from school lessons determines the effectiveness of the programs. . The overall goal of the South Carolina Afterschool Alliance is to establish a statewide network of diverse stakeholders that 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 that keep children involved in after-school programs instead of drugs or gangs. Children who are forced to walk home alone or stay home alone in neighborhoods with high drug use experience more influences to use drugs than those in suburban neighborhoods. areas. Typically, poverty-stricken families find themselves 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 negative effects on individuals, but also because of denial…in an empty, lonely house, without food. For some children, after-school programs are the only hope they have. It only takes one person to affect change in a child's life. Works Cited: Benavente, J. (2006). After-school 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). Understanding social problems.Wadsworth Cengage Learning. 8-16.Web Resources:ASCAA. (1969). After-School Alliance of South Carolina. Retrieved from: http://www.scafterschool.com/index.php?pageid=3Learning Point Associates, Top Five Reasons After-School Programs are on the Rise. (1pp). Retrieved from: http://www.learningpt.org/pdfs/afterschool/TopFiveReasons.pdf