Community Outreach

We have a lot of work to do, and we invite you to join us in this important effort to help children and young adults avoid the pitfalls and perils of drug and alcohol use and addiction. NDASA’s Public Outreach Committee is just getting started — and it is our goal to build one of the world’s most trusted sources of drug-prevention information. 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. Also look for our regular news updates on NDASA’s blog.

Here are just a few examples of the respected resources NDASA will share and develop:

Drug Testing

• Safe, At-Home Test Kits for Cannabis and Fentanyl. NDASA’s Preferred Partner Verifique offers rapid, convenient tests based on highly accurate dry reagent technology that is safe to use in the home, at the workplace or in social situations. Visit Verifique.com for more information.

For Parents

• The National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association Drug Testing Guide for Parents – A guide developed by NDASA’s Community Outreach Committee as a free resource for the download. Click here to download.

• Growing Up Drug Free: A Parent’s Guide to Substance Use Prevention – A free guide developed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency that offers information to help parents raise children who understand the risks of substance use. The guide includes an overview of substance use among children, youth, and young adults; descriptions of some substances young people may use; a look at risk factors that may make children, youth, and young adults try alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs, and protective factors that help offset those risks; suggestions for how to talk to young people about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, tailored to their age group; and tips on what to do if you suspect your child is using alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs. Click here to download.

• Parents Prevention Playbook – Free eBook. Developing a comprehensive drug prevention plan for parents is crucial for safeguarding the well-being and safety of their children. The Parents Prevention Playbook clearly outlines how to do more than just talk to your kids about drug use— it empowers you to step up as the role model you know you are. Learn more at https://thestopstartshere.org.

• Clearing the Haze: Helping Families Face Teen Addiction. This book is a guide designed to help parents determine whether their child may have a substance problem and, if so, how to begin to address it. It includes the voices and insight of experts in substance abuse counseling, young people in recovery, and parents who have lived the nightmare of adolescent addiction. Find it on Amazon here. 

For Treatment Providers and Lay Professionals

• imPACT This is the first adaptation of Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) for adolescent substance treatment. The manual is a general guide for treatment using Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) principles, and it is written in an approachable manner so that non-medical professionals — such as coaches, youth group leaders and educators — also can apply it to their work with adolescents. 

• Animal-Assisted Therapy for imPACT. The use of animal-assisted therapy will promote comfort, accelerate rapport-building, encourage trust, elevate mood, reinforce activities of daily living (ADLs), increase interpersonal contact, encourage communication and encourage self-care. This guide is written for professionals who wish to use a therapy dog. 

Harm Reduction

• Naloxone is a life-saving medication used to reduce the effects and can reverse an overdose from opioids – including heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioid medications—when given in time. It is estimated that the medication has saved tens of thousands of lives since it was approved for opioid overdose in the United States in 1971. It is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines. The Naloxone Finder is a resource that can help people find programs providing Naloxone free of charge in their community. 

General Information

• American Society of Addiction Medicine Founded in 1954, ASAM is a distinguished medical society of more than 7,500 physicians, clinicians and related professionals who specialize in addiction medicine. Its Patient Resources Page will help you find an ASAM member near you and an array of treatment services and recovery support groups.
• International Academy on the Science and Impact of Cannabis “IASIC is an organization of international experts on cannabis who are guided by medicine and science to provide accurate and honest information that guides decision-making. IASIC recognizes cannabis is potentially harmful, and that policies or practices which enhance or increase the use of cannabis risk serious medical and social consequences.”
• National Institute on Drug Abuse“Our mission is to advance science on drug use and addiction and to apply that knowledge to improve individual and public health.” NIDA is where you can find the latest about research findings, trends in drug use and a trove of educational materials about drugs and their impacts to health and safety.
• The National Marijuana Initiative This project of the federal High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas “strives to dispel misconceptions about marijuana and raise awareness of issues surrounding the drug so that citizens and policymakers can make well-informed choices regarding marijuana use and regulations.”