National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week: March 18–24, 2024

February 29, 2024
two women, smiling, arm in arm, one carrying a laptop

Background

Drug use is a high-profile public health concern among young people, with nearly 4 million adolescents (12–17 years old) reporting past-year illicit drug use in 2022.1 Overdose deaths among this population have increased significantly in recent years as well, largely driven by illegally produced fentanyl, which can be consumed—knowingly or unknowingly—when mixed into or sold as other drugs (e.g., heroin, cocaine, counterfeit pills). In fact, counterfeit pills were present in 25% of overdose deaths among people aged 10-19 years old from July–December 2019 to July–December 2021.2 A lethal dose of fentanyl can be very small, so using drugs contaminated with or replaced by fentanyl can increase the likelihood of an overdose. Preventing substance use and overdose risk among adolescents begins by initiating the dialogue about the science behind addiction and the dangers of substance use, including health risks and how drugs affect the brain.

National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week® (NDAFW) is an annual health observance the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) launched in 2010 to engage scientists, students, educators, healthcare providers, and community leaders in conversation and education related to youth substance use and addiction. NDAFW provides an opportunity to promote these conversations about substance use prevention and to support adolescents in making informed decisions about their health.

Since 2020, JBS has collaborated with NIDA, through the NIDAMED project, to promote NDAFW to its audiences and the general public through e-blast campaigns—reaching over 87,000 clinicians—and social media promotions. These efforts are broadening the reach of NDAFW efforts, raising awareness of the harms of substance use among young people, and encouraging participation in NDAFW activities throughout the country (e.g., hosting community events, initiating conversations with teens about substance use, disseminating web based NDAFW materials and information).

NDAFW's Important Role in Reaching Teens

Substance use often begins in adolescence, with teens seeking relief from stress, anxiety, and depression, and can result in serious changes in the brain.3,4 Specifically, adolescent substance use can result in elevated risk for cognitive deficits, mental health disorders, or substance use disorders (SUDs).5 Further, findings from a recent study show that access to residential addiction treatment centers caring for adolescents under 18 years old in the United States is limited and costly, creating a barrier to treatment for young people seeking treatment for SUDs.

NDAFW complements effective primary prevention activities cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to address substance use, including:6

  • School-based programs that promote social and emotional competence
  • Peer-led drug and alcohol resistance programs
  • Parenting skills training
  • Parent engagement
  • Family support programs

In addition to primary prevention, educating adolescents about harm reduction strategies can reduce the risk for fatal overdose. Decades of research have shown that some harm reduction strategies provide significant health benefits, including preventing overdose deaths and transmission of infectious diseases and reducing emergency department visits and costly healthcare services.7,8,9,10,11 Naloxone distribution, for example, is a well-studied and effective harm reduction service that can help save lives by reversing overdoses involving opioids—including fentanyl. Families, educators, and community leaders can play an integral role in raising awareness and in expanding the accessibility of naloxone by advocating for naloxone distribution programs in schools and communities and even by simply discussing it with teens.

This NDAFW, consider hosting an event, sharing information about it with others, or using resources like lesson plans, conversation starters, an online quiz on overdose, and more to engage teens in conversations about substance use. Here are a few more ways to get involved this year:

  • Sign up for NDAFW news and resources, including event planning tips and free materials to support the week-long event.
  • Participate in an NDAFW activity to help connect youth with resources and information about drugs and alcohol.
  • Host your own NDAFW event in your community by using tips from NIDA.
  • Share information through your channels and connections about NDAFW and the importance of educating young people about substance use and addiction.

For further reading on adolescent health and substance use, visit:

1Connolly, S., Govoni, T. D., Jiang, X., Terranella, A., Guy, G. P., Jr, Green, J. L., & Mikosz, C. (2024). Characteristics of alcohol, marijuana, and other drug use among persons aged 13-18 years being assessed for substance use disorder treatment–United States, 2014-2022. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 73(5), 93–98. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7305a1 

2Miech, R. A., Johnston, L. D., O’Malley, P. M., Bachman, J. G., Schulenberg, J. E., & Patrick, M. E. (2023). Monitoring the future. National survey results on drug use, 1975–2022. Secondary school students. https://monitoringthefuture.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/mtf2023.pdf 

3National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2019). Mind matters: Drugs and the brain. https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/parents-educators/lesson-plans/mind-matters/drugs-and-brain 

4Hamidullah, S., Thorpe, H. H. A., Frie, J. A., Mccurdy, R. D., & Khokhar, J. Y. (2020). Adolescent substance use and the brain: behavioral, cognitive and neuroimaging correlates. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 14, 298. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2020.00298 

5Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018, July). Substance use and sexual risk behaviors among youth. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/substance-use/pdf/dash-substance-use-fact-sheet.pdf

6Hawkins, J. D., Catalano, R. F., & Miller, J. Y. (1992). Risk and protective factors for alcohol and other drug problems in adolescence and early adulthood: implications for substance abuse prevention. Psychological Bulletin, 112(1), 64–105. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.112.1.64

7Puzhko, S., Eisenberg, M. J., Filion, K. B., Windle, S. B., Hébert-Losier, A., Gore, G., Paraskevopoulos, E., Martel, M. O., & Kudrina, I. (2022). Effectiveness of interventions for prevention of common infections among opioid users: A systematic review of systematic reviews. Frontiers In Public Health, 10, 749033. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.749033  

8Campbell, E. M., Jia, H., Shankar, A., Hanson, D., Luo, W., Masciotra, S., Owen, S. M., Oster, A. M., Galang, R. R., Spiller, M. W., Blosser, S. J., Chapman, E., Roseberry, J. C., Gentry, J., Pontones, P., Duwve, J., Peyrani, P., Kagan, R. M., Whitcomb, J. M., Peters, P. J., … Switzer, W. M. (2017). Detailed transmission network analysis of a large opiate-driven outbreak of HIV infection in the United States. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 216(9), 1053–1062. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jix307 

9Ruiz, M. S., OʼRourke, A., Allen, S. T., Holtgrave, D. R., Metzger, D., Benitez, J., Brady, K. A., Chaulk, C. P., & Wen, L. S. (2019). Using interrupted time series analysis to measure the impact of legalized syringe exchange on HIV diagnoses in Baltimore and Philadelphia. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (1999), 82 Suppl 2(2), S148–S154. https://doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0000000000002176; Erratum. (2020). Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (1999), 83(2), e12. https://doi.org/10.1097/QAI.000000000000225 

10Coye, A. E., Bornstein, K. J., Bartholomew, T. S., Li, H., Wong, S., Janjua, N. Z., Tookes, H. E., & St Onge, J. E. (2021). Hospital costs of injection drug use in Florida. Clinical infectious Diseases, 72(3), 499–502. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaa823  

11Kim, S. W., Pulkki-Brannstrom, A. M., & Skordis-Worrall, J. (2014). Comparing the cost effectiveness of harm reduction strategies: A case study of the [sic] Ukraine. Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation, 12, 25. https://doi.org/10.1186/1478-7547-12-25