Teens, Communities and Scientific Experts Team Up for National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week

Teens, Communities and Scientific Experts Team Up for National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week

January 25, 2016

By: Sara Smith, MPH, CPH, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH)

American teens are bombarded with false information about drugs and alcohol — from the Web, the media, the entertainment industry and friends. To SHATTER THE MYTHS, HHS scientists and other experts in communities around the country are getting together with teens during National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week^SM to offer science-based facts about drugs and alcohol.

This year, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is partnering with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) to host the sixth annual National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week from Jan. 25-31. This week-long health observance provides opportunities for teenagers to ask scientists and experts the questions they most want answered about drugs and alcohol, especially the effects on the body, brain and behavior. Fifty states and several foreign nations have traditionally hosted National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week community events in schools, community centers and local organizations, with more than 1,700 events currently scheduled.
National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week is a time for teenagers to have an open and honest conversation about drug and alcohol use with scientists and other experts. Topics could include emerging trends like e-cigarettes and synthetic drugs that claim to be like marijuana, or general drug use in communities. Communities can also develop events around the consequences of drunk and drugged driving, or the dangers of new synthetic drugs. NIDA and NIAAA provide topical toolkits online so events can be customized to specific community needs. 

READ MORE: Teens, Communities and Scientific Experts Team Up for National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week