Latest analysis tells us that how youth and younger adults understand hurt from medicine and alcohol is usually improper. SAMHSA’s Nationwide Survey on Drug Use and Well being (NSDUH) from 2020 reveals that 57 % of youth ages 12 to 17 didn’t assume there was nice hurt in having 5 or extra drinks a couple of times per week. Much more regarding is that as many as 62.6 % of these in that age group didn’t assume it was very dangerous to smoke marijuana a couple of times per week.
In an evolving public well being panorama, it’s vital that we prioritize data-informed prevention methods when responding to the misuse of medication and alcohol. We are able to draw inspiration from prevention professionals, community-based organizations, and others throughout the nation who, with the help of SAMHSA and different federal companies, use artistic, evidenced-based methods to place prevention first.
From rural Montana to school campuses in Florida, the success tales from SAMHSA’s Communities Speak to Forestall Underage Ingesting initiative provide compelling examples of drug and alcohol misuse prevention at work. These communities and plenty of others throughout america. used their ingenuity to push prevention work ahead, even when COVID-19 made gathering in particular person inconceivable.
This month (March 21-27), the Nationwide Institute on Drug Abuse’s (NIDA) Nationwide Medicine and Alcohol Information Week (NDAFW) provides one other alternative to advance community-based prevention initiatives.
NDAFW helps encourage dialogue in regards to the science of alcohol and different drug use—the way it impacts the mind and physique, and the way it might result in dependancy amongst youth. By speaking the long-term, dangerous results on the mind from utilizing alcohol and medicines, NIDA educates teenagers on the significance of prevention.
NDAFW week was created to enhance the prevention and consciousness of substance misuse in communities and nationwide by connecting everybody, from scientists, college students, and educators to well being care suppliers and group companions.
Listed below are just a few methods you can also make prevention a precedence this March:
- Promote Nationwide Medicine and Alcohol Information Week as a prevention device for practitioners, communities, and households to maneuver past dialog and encourage motion.
- Share the info on substance misuse and join folks you recognize socially and professionally to evidence-based sources, corresponding to:
Thanks in your continued help in stopping substance misuse and its dangerous results. Along with your dedication and efforts, our prevention work can actually save lives.
