Breadcrumb
- Federal Resources
Federal Resources
Youth Advisory Councils
Youth Advisory Councils (YACs) provide ongoing advice and support to school districts on policies and practices that affect students. This webpage provides a detailed overview of Youth Advisory Councils (YACs). It describes the role YACs play in improving the schools and communities they serve, discusses how they can use data to make decisions and create action plans, and outlines the structure of a YAC.
John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood
The John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood (the Chafee program) provides funding to support youth/ young adults in or formerly in foster care in their transition to adulthood. The program is funded through formula grants awarded to child welfare agencies in States (including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and participating Tribes. Chafee funds are used to assist youth/ young adults in a wide variety of areas designed to support a successful transition to adulthood. Activities and programs include, but are not limited to, help with education, employment, financial management, housing, emotional support and assured connections to caring adults. Specific services and supports are determined by the child welfare agency, vary by State, locality and agency, and are often based on the individual needs of the young person. Many State or local agencies contract with private organizations to deliver services to young people.
2013 Annual Synar Reports: Tobacco Sales to Youth
SAMHSA is charged with implementing the Synar Amendment, which requires states to enact and enforce laws prohibiting the sale or distribution of tobacco to minors (PDF, 8 pages). Major findings from the Synar data compiled from states in 2013 include an upward trend in retailer violation rates, a decline in youth smokers who obtain their tobacco products in retail settings, and the achievement of the overall Synar goal by 50 states and the District of Columbia.
2012 Town Hall Meetings to Prevent Underage Drinking: Moving Communities Beyond Awareness to Action
This report presents the outcomes from a series of town hall meetings to educate communities about underage drinking and engage them in prevention efforts. Brief case studies that illustrate different approaches are included, as well as lessons learned in hosting successful events.
2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Adolescent and School Health published 2011 national, state, and local Youth Risk Behavior Survey results. These results show significant improvements in many health behaviors during the past two decades, as well as new possible risks resulting from an increased use of technology.
2013 Monitoring the Future Survey
The Monitoring the Future survey, conducted annually, measures the current drug use, and attitudes toward drugs, of students in grades 8, 10, and 12 across the country. Results included observed declines in the abuse of prescription opioids, alcohol, and cigarettes by teens, the use of synthetic marijuana, Vicodin, and salvia among twelfth graders, and the use of inhalants by eighth graders, but an increase in teens’ use of Adderall. The results also reveal that less than 40% of high school seniors believed that regular marijuana users risk harming themselves, meaning that the perception by seniors that regular marijuana may be dangerous is the lowest it has been since 1978.
3 Bold Steps for School Community Change
Based on the lessons learned from the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative, the toolkit cultivates an approach that has left a legacy of success in schools and communities. This toolkit will show you how partnerships with representatives from sectors including education, law enforcement, mental health, juvenile justice, children’s services, families, and faith-based associations can take Three Bold Steps to create positive lasting change among our nation’s students.
58 Million Americans Exposed to Secondhand Smoke: CDC
Despite an overall decline in smoking, 58 million nonsmokers are still being exposed to secondhand smoke, says data from the CDC. 40 percent of children aged 3 to 11 are breathing in secondhand smoke, with 70 percent of black children experiencing exposure.
A Shot of Truth: Myth Busting Excessive Alcohol Use
Excessive alcohol use is a serious problem and one that is also often misunderstood. This blog post busts some of the common myths about excessive alcohol use and provides information on responsible alcohol use.
A Day in the Life of Young Adults: Substance Use Facts
This report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration presents facts about substance use among young adults (PDF, 7 pages), ages 18-25, including initiation, treatment, and visits to the emergency department for substance use on an average day. According to the report, on a typical day, 3.2 million young adults use marijuana, 57,304 use heroin, 51,319 use cocaine, 46,179 use hallucinogens, and 17,868 use inhalants.
Access 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) Data
Public access data and documentation files for the 2013 NSDUH are now available. New variables include military status, marijuana usage, height and weight, screening questions during health care visits, and geography.
Alcohol Policy Information System
The Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS) provides detailed information on a wide variety of alcohol-related policies in the United States at both State and Federal levels.
Alcohol and Drug Combinations Are More Likely to Have a Serious Outcome Than Alcohol Alone in Emergency Department Visits Involving Underage Drinking
This report from SAMHSA shows that underage drinkers (PDF, 1 page), ages 12‑20, who were treated in hospital emergency departments were more than twice as likely to wind up with a serious health outcome if they also used drugs at the same time. The report shows that of the hospital emergency department visits involving underage drinkers which resulted in serious health outcomes, 12 percent involved underage drinking alone, and 33 percent involved both underage drinking and concurrent drug use.
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is the world’s largest, ongoing telephone health survey system, tracking health conditions and risk behaviors in the United States yearly since 1984. Currently, data are collected monthly in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.
Alcohol Use Among Pregnant Women
The latest issue of SAMHSA’s FASD in Review features a summary of an article, published in Annals of Epidemiology, that examines the relationship between prenatal alcohol exposure and birth outcomes. The article discusses the effect of alcohol use during pregnancy on birth weight, preterm delivery, intrauterine growth restriction, and selected neonatal outcomes.
Age of Substance Use Initiation Among Treatment Admissions Aged 18 to 30
A report from SAMHSA indicates that the risk of developing drug dependence or abuse is greater for individuals who start using substances during adolescence, compared with those who start during adulthood. The report, which draws from a national data system of annual admissions to substance abuse treatment facilities, also shows that people who start using substances at a young age are at greater risk of needing treatment later and are more likely to be using more than one substance when they are admitted for treatment.
Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention for Youth: A Practitioner's Guide
This tool helps healthcare professionals identify youth at risk for alcohol-related problems, counsel or advise them, and connect them to external sources of treatment. It contains a risk assessment survey and links to motivational interviewing resources.
American Indian and Alaska Native Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions Are More Likely Than Other Admissions to Report Alcohol Abuse
A report released by SAMHSA reveals that about one-third of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) who are admitted to substance abuse treatment report alcohol abuse, while only about one-fifth of all other races give similar reports. Additionally, a higher percentage of AI/ANs begin using alcohol or drugs at age 11 or younger.
Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs
This publication was designed to help states plan and establish effective tobacco control programs to prevent and reduce tobacco use, including among school age youth. School program activities include implementing CDC's Guidelines for School Health Programs to Prevent Tobacco Use and Addiction, which call for tobacco-free policies, evidence-based curricula, teacher training, parental involvement, and cessation services; implementing evidence-based curricula identified through CDC's Research to Classroom Project; and linking school-based efforts with local community coalitions and statewide media and educational campaigns.
Browse NCSACW From Your Phone or Tablet
NCSACW has updated its website to a responsive web design approach. Users can now easily navigate to tools, resources, and online tutorials related to substance abuse using mobile phones and tablets.
Beyond Addiction: Understanding and Treating Substance Abuse in Young People
This report series from the National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth provides an overview on substance abuse in youth and young adults. Find information on how drug use can affect the teen brain, how the development of the teen brain makes young people susceptible to trying drugs, the benefits and things to be aware of when hiring youth workers in substance abuse recovery, and some best-known evidence-based practices for treating adolescent substance abuse.
Centers for the Application of Prevention Technologies
This is the national website of the CAPTs. The CAPTs are regional technical assistance providers for the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), an agency of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The CAPTs assist states and jurisdictions and community based organizations in the application of evidence-based substance abuse prevention programs, practices, and policies
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) works to protect public health and safety by providing information to enhance health decisions, and it promotes health through partnerships with state health departments and other organizations.
Child Health USA
The Child Health USA Databook is an annual report of the health status, well-being and service needs of America's children and youth. Coalitions, program planners and policy makers can identify national trends by examining and comparing data from one year to the next. Indicators for youth, or adolescents, cover multiple issues, including childbearing, substance abuse, violence, mental health treatment, and mortality from traffic and firearms injuries. The section, Population Characteristics, provides information about poverty status and school dropouts. Each topic includes a written summary and at least one graph that clearly depicts key statistical facts.
College Drinking: Changing the Culture
College Drinking: Changing the Culture, created by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). CollegeDrinkingPrevention.gov is your one-stop resource for comprehensive research-based information on issues related to alcohol abuse and binge drinking among college students.