School-Based Alcohol and Tobacco Prevention Strategies: A Scoping Review and the Missing Role of School Nurses.

Background/

Objectives

Alcohol and tobacco use in adolescence are major public health concerns that shape long-term health trajectories and undermine healthy behaviour development. Schools are key settings for health promotion, offering structured environments to foster self-regulation, social skills, and protective behaviours. This scoping review mapped recent school-based educational strategies designed to prevent alcohol and tobacco use among adolescents and to examine whether the included studies reported any involvement of school nurses.

Methods

Review followed Arksey and O'Malley's framework and adhered to JBI guidance and PRISMA-ScR. Searches were conducted in PubMed and Web of Science (2019-2024) to identify school-based educational interventions targeting alcohol and/or tobacco use among primary or secondary school children. The primary search targeted prevention strategies, complemented by nursing-related terms to identify nurse involvement. A standardised charting form captured study characteristics, intervention formats, theoretical foundations, implementation factors, and any reported participation of health professionals. Data extraction was performed independently by two reviewers.

Results

Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Most were randomised controlled trials (81.8%). Educational strategies included online (45.5%), hybrid (27.3%), and face-to-face (27.3%) formats. Programs focused on social skills, self-regulation, harm reduction, or resilience. Digital formats were cost-effective but showed challenges in engagement and sustained participation, while face-to-face or hybrid approaches offered relational support but were vulnerable to implementation drift. No study reported nurse involvement.

Conclusions

School-based prevention strategies can contribute to healthier behaviours related to substance use by reinforcing socioemotional competencies and reducing early exposure to substances. However, persistent barriers such as low engagement, inconsistent delivery, and the absence of health professionals limit their impact. The role of school nurses could be considered in future school-based prevention programmes.