National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism NIAAA
We understand it may not be possible for some event planners to hold events during the week of NDAFW. Registered activities held any time in the same month as the week of NDAFW can be recognized as NDAFW events. We would still like to hear about your event and support you in any way possible. Make sure to register your event, have it listed on the Events Map, or promote it as an NDAFW event.
National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week®, or NDAFW, is an annual health observance that inspires dialogue about the science of drug use and addiction among youth. It provides an opportunity to bring together scientists, students, educators, healthcare providers, and community partners to help advance the science and address youth drug and alcohol use in communities art therapy for addiction and nationwide. It was launched in 2010 by scientists at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to stimulate educational events in communities so teens can learn what science has taught us about drug use and addiction. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism became a partner in 2016, and alcohol has been added as a topic area for the week.
It coincides with Spring Break in Palm Beach County, providing an excellent opportunity to have open conversations with your teenagers regarding drug and alcohol usage. NDAFW was created to improve the prevention and awareness of substance misuse in communities and nationwide by connecting everyone, from scientists, students, and educators to health care providers and community partners. Hanley Foundation provides educational resources for parents who are preparing to discuss the risks of substance use with their teens. If someone in your family is already affected by addiction, you can read ‘How Addiction Affects Children and Families’ ahead of a chat with your teen. NDAFW helps inspire dialogue about the science of alcohol and other drug use—how it affects the brain and body, and how it may lead to addiction among youth.
Conversations work, and kids are making informed decisions, but our work is not done. Overcoming a substance use disorder is not as simple as resisting the temptation to take drugs through willpower alone. Recovery may involve medication to help with cravings and withdrawal as well as different forms of therapy. It may even require checking into a rehabilitation facility. People suffering from substance use disorders have trouble controlling their drug use even though they know drugs are harmful.
- Provide information about accessible resources for support, reinforcing a sense of direction.
- Parents, educators, and school administrators, keep up the great work!
- If someone in your family is already affected by addiction, you can read ‘How Addiction Affects Children and Families’ ahead of a chat with your teen.
- Knowing the facts is important when having these conversations, and it will make a difference when empowering kids to say “YES” to a healthy lifestyle and “NO” to underage drinking and underage cannabis use.
Thank you for your continued support in preventing substance misuse and its harmful effects. With your dedication and efforts, our prevention work can literally save lives. It’s not easy to know the truth about a lot of challenging issues. That certainly is the case when it comes to substance use questions.
Foundation For Advancing Alcohol Responsibility
Consider others in your community who might also participate in this topic. Digital.gov has some great lessons on hosting a Twitter chat. On YouTube – Parents and educators can share the non-VR YouTube video version with students on any computer or mobile device. Today marks the start of National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week, and this year we want to celebrate the progress we have made together towards eliminating underage drinking. Over the last 20 years, more kids are saying “NO” than ever before—with more than 6 out of 10 kids having never consumed alcohol.
Prepare your Twitter chat team – Some Twitter chats can become tough to manage if you have a lot of participants. If you are able, consider asking members of your team each taking a specific role to help keep things organized. At NIDA, we like to have at least one person post content and one additional person to keep an eye out for audience questions. Choose a theme – What topics are relevant to your online audience or local community?
The misuse of alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, and prescription medications affect the health and well-being of millions of Americans. Links students with scientists and other experts to counteract the myths about drugs and alcohol that teens get from the internet, social media, TV, movies, music, or from friends. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism became a partner starting in 2016, and alcohol has been added as a topic area for the week. NIDA and NIAAA are part of the National Institutes of Health.
Plan Your NDAFW Event
From rural Montana to college campuses in Florida, the success stories from SAMHSA’s Communities Talk to Prevent Underage Drinking initiative offer compelling examples of drug and alcohol misuse prevention at work. These communities and many others across the United States. Used their ingenuity to push prevention work forward, even when COVID-19 made gathering in person impossible. Contact your local government official’s communications office and ask what action is needed to designate National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week® in your community. Each month, we feature select National Health Observances (NHOs) that support our mission to improve health across the United States. In April, we’re raising awareness about minority health, alcohol use and misuse, and celebrating public health.We’ve listed some resources below that you can use to promote these NHOs with your networks.
According to the CDC, Polysubstance use is when two or more substances are used together or within a short time period, either intentionally or unintentionally. National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week® (NDAFW) marks its 10th anniversary March 30 through April 5, 2020, encouraging communities steve harwell in hospice around the country to SHATTER THE MYTHS® about substance use and addiction. NDAFW is a joint initiative of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), which are both part of the National Institutes of Health.
Start Planning Your 2024 National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week Activity or Event
Ask, Listen, Learn’s free resources are ideal for starting and continuing conversations about alcohol and the negative effects of underage drinking and cannabis on their developing brains. These conversations make a big difference in helping kids form healthy habits and coping mechanisms, and they help build lines of communication for even more conversations to come! Check out these 5 facts to guide you in your conversations. Remember to tag @Ask_Listen_Learn and use the hashtag #NDAFW to show your support in keeping our youth substance-free. NIDA will host a Tweetstorm to raise awareness for NDAFW on Monday, March 30, from 3 to 4 p.m.
This will give you the chance to see what they’re like and learn a little more about your community and audience on Twitter. When working with the media, it’s helpful to provide resources and tools to help them write their articles. Before you contact the media, develop a few key talking points that will help them understand what NDAFW is and what you’re trying to accomplish with your event. Preparing these messages in advance will help you speak consistently about NDAFW and have a framework from which to answer any media questions you receive. It only takes a few minutes to complete, and ensures your event is listed on the online events map. Before you use alcohol or drugs, here’s what you should know about each.