privacy policy

How to Use This Site

Welcome to Prevention Pathways. At various places on this site, you may be asked to register. Information will be provided on the registration process where applicable. You do not need to register for Prevention Pathways itself and will not be asked for personal information. Here is how we handle information about your visit to our Web site.

Information Collected and Stored Automatically

If you do nothing during your visit but browse through the Web site, do searches, read pages, or download information, we will gather and store certain information about your visit automatically. This information does not identify you personally. No information about Prevention Pathways users/visitors will be sold, shared, or utilized in any commercial way. We automatically collect and store only the following information about your visit:

  1. The Internet domain (for example, "company.com" if you use a private Internet access account or "yourschool.edu" if you connect from a university's domain) and IP address (an IP address is a number that is automatically assigned to your computer whenever you are surfing the Web) from which you access our Web site;
  2. The type of browser and operating system used to access our site;
  3. The date and time you access our site;
  4. The searches you make;
  5. The pages you visit; and
  6. If you linked to Prevention Pathways from another Web site, the address of that Web site.

We use this information to help us make our site more useful to visitors -- to learn about the number of visitors to our site, what part of the site they are interested in, how long they use the site, and the types of technology our visitors use. WE DO NOT TRACK OR RECORD INFORMATION ABOUT THE IDENTITY OF INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR VISITS.

At certain places within Prevention Pathways, we may write a small file on your computer called a "cookie." This "cookie" helps us track your progress so that you can start where you left off. If you do not return, the cookie automatically expires after you close your browser. Other than this cookie and the six items described above, we do not obtain any information from you or the computer you use to access the site, unless you specifically provide it. Places that use cookies for tracking purposes will be noted.

If You Send Us Personal Information

If you send us e-mail or otherwise provide feedback, your identity and the contents of your message is covered by The Privacy Act. Be assured that:

  1. The information will not be shared with anyone not on the staff of Prevention Pathways.
  2. Your e-mail address will not be provided to any third party or used for any electronic mailing lists. Government or private.
  3. We do not create individual profiles with the e-mail information you provide or give it to any other organizations.
  4. The e-mail material, including your e-mail address and/or name, will in no way be correlated or linked to the material that is automatically collected as described above.
  5. The Prevention Pathways site does not collect information for commercial marketing.

The only exceptions would be information obtained pursuant to a bona fide Court Order.

We will use your information to:

  1. Consider your suggestions.
  2. Respond directly to you for clarification.
  3. Process your request for materials, if possible.
  4. Answer your questions or refer you to someone who can answer your questions. In the case of referrals, we will provide you with contact information. We will not provide your name, questions, or any information about you to any third parties.

Links to Other Sites

Prevention Pathways contains links to many other sites. Once you link to another site, you are subject to the privacy policy of the new site. CSAP, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Department of Health and Human Services do not necessarily endorse or validate any of the material on linked sites except materials identified as being created or published by the Federal Government. Links to other organizations' Web sites or pages do not necessarily imply Government approval or endorsement of those organizations, their purpose, their programs, or the accuracy of their materials. In addition, the Government is not responsible for the content of other sites.

Intrusion Detection

This site is maintained for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is protected by various provisions of Title 18, U.S. Code. Violations of Title 18 are subject to criminal prosecution in Federal court.

For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, we employ software programs to monitor traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. In the event of authorized law enforcement investigations, and pursuant to any required legal process, information from these sources may be used to help identify an individual.

Questions About Privacy

If you have any questions about Prevention Pathways or our privacy policy, please feel free to Contact Us.

Use of Information

Unless otherwise noted, all text materials contained on Prevention Pathways are in the public domain. CSAP encourages copying or any other use of the text. Some of the graphic materials are in the public domain and other graphics are used with permission, but that permission does not necessarily extend to all. If you have any permission questions, please Contact Us.

The information on this site is intended to help users learn about substance abuse prevention. It is not intended to provide medical advice, counseling, or other health-related services or to replace the advice of a trained professional. Nor is any information on the site intended to replace academic degrees, licenses, or other credentials. Finally, any contact information provided is current as of the date of posting. Contact information may be updated from time to time, but the information is not guaranteed.

Disclaimer of Endorsements

Reference herein to any specific products, processes, or services by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favor by the U.S. Government. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the U.S. Government and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.