Substance abuse and misuse are on the rise. Opioid use is out of control. Liquor store sales are rising. The COVID-19 pandemic has not helped any of these areas. The opposite is true, numbers are increasing.
Each year the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) promotes National Prevention Week to encourage people to avoid substance abuse of legal and illegal substances.
This year SAMHSA is presenting five different opportunities for prevention education:
- Monday, May 11: Preventing Prescription Drug and Opioid Misuse
- Tuesday, May 12: Preventing Underage Drinking and Alcohol Misuse
- Download: Talk. They Hear You.® mobile application
- Wednesday, May 13: Preventing Illicit Drug Use and Youth Marijuana Use
- Thursday, May 14: Preventing Youth Tobacco Use (E-cigarettes and Vaping)
- Friday, May 15: Preventing Suicide
Adult & Teen Challenge created Stay Sharp prevention materials to impact students with a clear and urgent call to personal and peer drug misuse prevention. This positive message reaches out to steer the hearts and minds of this current generation toward sober living. Visit the ATC store for more information.
This year’s SAMHSA Prevention Challenge demonstrates that prevention of substance misuse needs to happen in a lot of places. Take a selfie and tell us where prevention happens for you. Follow #PreventionHappensHere on social media to see the range of the problem.
SAMHSA has a Planning Toolkit to help plan a prevention related activity in your local community. Abuse issues affect the spectrum of ages from pre-teens to the elderly. Working together will to impact people of all ages will move us toward a better future.
