Table 2 Kingdon’s agenda-setting streams

Problem stream

High prevalence of high-risk behaviours and non-communicable diseases in adolescents, young people and adults

Conducting numerous strong scientific studies in high-risk behaviours and social harms. Change acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) transmission pattern from injecting transmission to sexual one

Reference to risky sexual behaviours of adolescents and young people as a vital factor in the sexual transmission of AIDS in the National Strategic Plan for AIDS Control in Iran

Reducing the age of first drug abuse according to rapid situational analysis studies from 1994 to 2014 by the University of Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences in collaboration with the Welfare Organization. Increased statistics of alcohol poisoning and deaths

Increased statistics adolescents crimes (crime of Gandi Street and murder of Afghan female child after being raped by Iranian adolescent)

Iran’s supreme leader’s visit to the slums of Mashhad

Poisoning by alcohol abuse in Rafsanjan and Sirjan cities

Broadcast of different programs, including documentaries on social harms

Negative feedback about the performance of the Education Organization in different meetings

Reduced feedback of organizations to upstream officials during the years and exacerbation of the problem

Policy stream

Denial period:

Considering the high-risk behaviours such as drugs and alcohol abuse and sexual relationships outside the framework of marriage as the consequences of western culture

Emphasis on the religious aspects and sinfulness of these behaviours. Resisting the prevalence of anomalous behavioural patterns

Showing the negative effects of western vulgar non-ethical culture

Abstinence and religious obligation of chastity and avoiding ethical corruption

Acceptance period:

Adolescents training

Fear messages

Promotional and cultural activities

Parent training

School staff training

Providing withdrawal of psychiatry services

Counselling and reference to receive specialized services

Politics stream

Global attention to non-communicable diseases and high-risk behaviours and the important role of prevention of these behaviours in the adolescent age group on community health, specific attention of UNICEF, WHO and UNAIDS to change AIDS transmission pattern in Iran

The attention of the supreme leader of Iran to social harm and determining 5 priorities in the harm’s domain

Establishment of the National Committee for Prevention and Control of Alcohol

Opportunity window

Exacerbation of the problem and increase of public attention to high-risk behaviours and social harms

International streams, AIDS pattern change

Writing the Document of Alcohol Abuse

The emphasis of the supreme leader of Iran on the reduction of high-risk behaviours and social harms

Adolescent group: One of the best target groups to do preventive interventions