Compass Mark wants to be an ideological lightning rod and a guiding light in the community. The nonprofit approaches its mission through three guiding principles - "follow the science," "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" and "the sooner the better."

The ultimate goal is to manage and curb addiction or control the behavioral part of it that can be controlled.

"Compass Mark can help you get to where you want to go in life; we can keep you on the right path," said Teri Miller-Landon, Compass Mark's director of programs. "There's so much science out there on what leads kids to addiction. We're not preaching abstinence. We're trying to delay use as much as possible. We're teaching them to make other choices and to connect with people in healthy ways."

Headquartered at 1891 Santa Barbara Drive, Suite 104, Lancaster, Compass Mark attempts to reach children in kindergarten through grade 12 before alcohol, drugs and gambling do. It drives its message home through workshops, skill-building, student assistance programs and good old-fashioned communication and interaction.

Last school year, Compass Mark connected with 8,000 kids in 66 schools from 28 school districts in Lancaster, Lebanon and Chester counties.

"Before I came here, I didn't know what prevention was," said Tim Steffen, director of development and communications at Compass Mark. "We want to make clear how prevention works. We're actually saving lives. For every dollar spent on prevention, you're saving $18 in the future. You're saving taxpayers by nipping it in the bud."

Some of the factors that put kids at risk for addiction include low commitment toward school, parental attitudes favorable toward antisocial behavior, low perceived risk of drug use and low neighborhood attachment.

"For kids 13 or younger who use any kind of substance, they have a 70% chance to develop an addiction in seven years," said Miller-Landon. "We use data to know what's going on in our community. It's things we need to target as we design our programs. It's much, much easier to prevent bad habits from starting than to try and change them. That's much of the thinking. Sometimes substance abuse can lead to contact with the criminal justice system and a criminal record."

Overseen by a board of directors, Compass Mark employs 20 full-time workers and about 20 part-time staff members, all trained to deliver the curriculum.

"A lot of people are skeptical about prevention," said Miller-Landon. "But prevention works. It's about talking to kids often and talking to kids early. When kids are younger, they're sponges. They just soak it in. They're at an age when they still think (adults) know what they're talking about."

Compass Mark was founded in 1966 as the National Council for Alcoholism, Lancaster County. Then the organization's scope was broadened in the 1970s and '80s to include a focus on preventing illegal drug use, and later gambling.

"We've evolved with the community," said Steffen.

For additional information on Compass Mark, go to http://www.compassmark.org.