October is National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month

 

During October, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is observing Youth Substance Use Prevention Month. 

The need for prevention has never been greater. Studies show that the earlier in life a young person starts using alcohol or other drugs, the greater their lifetime risk of misuse or addiction:

*In 2021, more than 100,000 people in the U.S. died from a drug overdose.

*According to SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health in 2020, 8.2 percent of adolescents age 12-17 drank alcohol in the past month – 13.8 percent of adolescents age 12-17 used illicit drugs in the past year.

Good News - Prevention Works! In fact, preventing substance use during adolescence significantly reduces the chance of developing a substance use disorder later in life. For every dollar spent today on effective school-based prevention programs like those offered by InnerAct Alliance in Polk County Schools, $$$ can be saved in the future by avoiding potential medical costs.

Reach out to the young people in your lives to talk often, share information, promote healthy lifestyle choices, and help transform lives through evidence-based substance use prevention!