InnerAct Alliance is joining with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) for National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW) this week - March 18 to March 24, 2024 - to promote community conversations about drug and alcohol use prevention and support teens in making more informed decisions about their health.
According to the latest results from the Monitoring the Future survey, the percentage of adolescents reporting use of illicit substances in 2023 continued to hold steady below the pre-pandemic levels reported in 2020, with 10.9% of 8th graders, 19.8% of 10th graders, and 31.2% of 12th graders reporting any illicit drug use in the past year. While it is reassuring that 2023 data continues to document stable or declining trends, today's drugs have become more dangerous with illicit pills and other substances containing deadly fentanyl, the potent synthetic drug that continues to contaminate the supply of counterfeit pills made to resemble prescription medications. Fentanyl is now the #1 killer of those age 18-45 in the U.S. and it is everywhere, including right here in our community.
Knowing the facts about the dangers of underage use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, and prescription medications and how they may affect health and well-being can empower youth to make informed decisions.
To help parents start a conversation about drugs and health, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has compiled compelling answers to some of the top questions heard most often from teens, such as "What is the worst drug?" When it comes to drugs and alcohol, there is no "worst" just as there isn't a "best" drug - all drugs have the potential to produce negative health effects or lead to a dangerous situation in the short or long term.
Whether a drug causes a serious health issue, like a life-threatening overdose, can depend on a number of factors - how much a person uses, how they consume it, and other factors. Drugs like fentanyl are so potent that a life-threatening overdose can occur the first time a person uses them. Since it is often mixed with other drugs such as heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA (Molly), fentanyl may be unknowingly ingested at unknown quantities and lead to overdose.
The goal of National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week is to inform and prevent youth from starting to use drugs. Knowing the truth can help kids avoid succumbing to peer pressure because they may feel confident in making more informed decisions after considering all the facts.
Parents can learn important drug facts and how to answer common questions teens may have by contacting InnerAct Alliance at (863) 802-0777 and visiting https://www.inneractalliance.org and the NIDA website https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/parents-educators/conversation-starters
No comments:
Post a Comment