The substance abuse epidemic continues across the United States, with one in four Americans reporting that they have used illicit drugs.
According to the 2022 United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH):
- 46.8 million (16.7%) Americans (aged 12 and older) battled a substance use disorder in the past year.
- 10.5% of Americans 12 and older had an alcohol use disorder in the past year.
- About 27.2 million Americans 12 or older (9.7%) reported battling a drug use disorder in the past year.
- That same year, 8 million (2.9%) of Americans 12 and older struggled with both alcohol and drug use disorders simultaneously.
- 21.5 million American adults (8.4%) suffered from both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder, or co-occurring disorders in the past year.
These statistics are concerning, especially as we see a continuing rise of overdose deaths due to dangerous substances like fentanyl. However, as we mark the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Prevention Week (May 12-18), it is also important to recognize and celebrate the many prevention initiatives happening across the country, every single day, and the numerous resources that are available to support prevention efforts.
Truly, knowledge is power in supporting substance misuse and abuse prevention.
Prevention Resources
Here is a list of materials developed to support prevention across our communities. As early intervention is a key to success, many of these resources are focused on youth initiatives.
- Center for Substance Abuse Prevention website The Center, a division of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, provides national leadership in the federal effort to prevent alcohol, tobacco, and other drug problems.
- Prevention Resources for Healthy Communities (SAMHSA)
- Growing Up Drug Free: A Parent’s Guide to Substance Use Prevention (The United States Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) Get Smart About Drugs initiative.) –
- The DEA and Discovery Education, have developed a joint nationwide education initiative called “Operation Prevention,” designed for elementary, middle, and high school students, educators and parents. Learn more here.
- Recommended reading from the DEA, “Prescription for Disaster, How Teens Misuse Medicine”
- Alcohol and Your Brain (National Institute of Health), educational video
- National Institute on Drug Abuse website
- Mentoring for Preventing and Reducing Substance Use and Associated Risks Among Youth (National Mentoring Resource Center)
- Teen drug abuse: Help your teen avoid drugs (Mayo Clinic)
- The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Healthy Children initiative
NDASA Cares
At the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association we believe that prevention efforts support our mission of “advocating for safe and drug-free workplaces and communities.”
Look for information soon from NDASA’s Community Outreach Committee about the association’s new initiative to provide trustworthy education about substance use and early detection, and resources to promote healthy, safe and strong kids.
NDASA will do this in part by highlighting experts in drug prevention and the treatment of Substance Use Disorder, and by sharing an array of resources — many of them free for the download — for parents, educators, coaches, youth leaders and anyone else who wants to help children and young adults be drug-free.