The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) was established in 1992 as one of three centers within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). CSAP's goal was to improve the accessibility and quality of services of substance abuse prevention services nationwide. CSAP was the successor of the Office of Substance Abuse Prevention (OSAP) that was created in 1986 through the Drug Abuse Act to provide leadership for prevention.

Over the years, CSAP has provided grants to various States and communities to create an effective prevention infrastructure. With the award of Community Partnership Demonstration Program grants to 95 diverse communities, 1990 marked the beginning of broad-based community-wide prevention efforts initiated at the Federal level. In 1994, CSAP awarded 13 Female Adolescent demonstration grants focusing on gender-specific strategies to decrease substance abuse. Drawing on the successes of earlier demonstration grant programs, in 1995 CSAP funded 16 replication programs reaching 24 States.

In 2004, SAMHSA started the State Incentive Grants (SIG) program as a means to implementing a new public health approach known as strategic prevention framework (SPF). SPF is a systematic effort that aims to build prevention capacity and infrastructure at the State and community levels. CSAP has 37 SIGs in place which have to date reached over 2 million teenagers with substance abuse prevention efforts.

In 2004, the administration of the Drug Free Communities (DFC) program was moved to CSAP. The DFC program provides grants of up to $100,000 to community coalitions that mobilize their communities to prevent youth alcohol, tobacco, illicit drug, and inhalant abuse. The program enables community coalitions to strengthen their coordination and prevention efforts, encourage citizen participation in substance abuse reduction efforts, and disseminate information about effective programs.

CSAP has developed several resources for organizations, schools, professional, and others involved in prevention efforts. In 1998, the Centers for the Application of Prevention Technologies (CAPTs) was developed as a national resource for training and technical assistance. In 2000, CSAP launched the Prevention Decision Support System which provides various Web-based tools.

CSAP has launched a number of multimedia public education campaigns. In 1997, CSAP launched the Starting Early Starting Smart program to address the needs of young children. Hablemos en Confianza was developed in 1999 to strengthen dialogue between Spanish-speaking Hispanic/ Latino parents and their children about the dangers of substance abuse.

Some of CSAP's current public education initiatives include A Family Guide to Keeping Youth Mentally Healthy and Drug Free which targets parents and caregivers of 7- to 18-year-olds; Building Blocks For A Healthy Future aimed at educating parents and caregivers about the basics of prevention for children ages 3 to 6; and the Stop Underage Drinking campaign which provides valuable information to those interested in underage drinking prevention efforts.