In 1981 the Prevention Education Subcommittee of the Orange County Health Care Advisory Board on Drug Programs developed the concept of a student drug abuse prevention poster contest. The Subcommittee, along with County of Orange Health Care Agency’s (OCHCA) Drug Abuse Administration successfully implemented a countywide poster contest that presented students with an opportunity to promote the positive aspects of being drug-free. Co-sponsors included the Orange County Board of Supervisors, the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE), and the Orange County Substance Abuse Prevention Network (OCSAPN). The contest was called the “Student Drug Abuse Prevention Poster Contest.”

Due to the success of that first contest, OCHCA Drug Abuse Administration decided to continue the contest as an annual event.  As the contest grew in size, the name was changed to “Student Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Abuse Prevention Poster Contest.”  By 1987, the contest was conducted jointly by the OCHCA Alcohol & Drug Education & Prevention Team, Orange County Substance Abuse Prevention Network, and administered by the Orange County Department of Education.

In 1996, the “Tobacco Counter Advertisement” category was added to the contest, followed by the “Alcohol Counter Advertisement” which was added a few years later.  Both counters were included to encourage young people to look beyond slick advertising messages and uncover the real consequences of tobacco and alcohol consumption.  In 2000, the Contest expanded once again, to include the topic of violence prevention, thereby promoting violence-free lifestyles as well as cooperation, inclusiveness, support and friendship among the students’ peers. 

In 2006, the program branched out in a new direction by diversifying the prevention activities offered to Orange County students.  A media literacy curriculum focusing on alcohol, tobacco, and violence prevention was added as a new component. Consistent with this recent change, the program changed its name in 2007 to reflect the range of youth development activities available to students. The new name is Prevention Works - Art and Media Awareness Program.

Currently, Prevention Works Art and Media Awareness Program keeps supporting healthy and violence-free lifestyles for Orange County students in school, after-school, community-based, and faith-based environments. Students in grades one through twelve are encouraged to participate in resiliency and youth development activities which include the annual alcohol, tobacco, drug, and violence prevention poster contest, local visual arts exhibits, skill building media literacy trainings, and a county-wide media awareness campaign.