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Federal Resources
Get Involved: NIDA's National Drug Facts Week
Get involved with NIDA’s fifth annual Drug Facts Week. Host or promote events for teens that help shatter the myths about drugs, and expose teens to facts about drugs and addiction from scientists and other experts. NIDA staff can recommend materials and activities, help organizations partner with one another, and highlight events on the official 2015 National Drug Facts Week map.
Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know
This resource provides parents with tips on how to spot marijuana use by their teen and how to raise the issue with them.
Marijuana: Facts for Teens
This resource for teens discusses the consequences and effects of marijuana use, as well as its risk for addiction and potential as a medicine.
Limited Internet? Get a Flash Drive with Resources about Teen Prescription Drug Abuse
Resources from PeerX, NIDA’s online educational campaign to discourage abuse of prescription drugs among teens, are now available on a free flash drive. To get the flash drive, send an email to peerx@iqsolutions.com. The flash drive includes interactive videos, fact sheets, the PEERx Activity Guide, and other educational resources.
Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General
This Report of the Surgeon General on Mental Health is the product of a collaboration between two federal agencies, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the National Institutes of Health. The report provides an overview of mental health as well as a section targeted at children’s mental health. Sections of this report include information on interventions and service delivery.
NIH-Funded Study: Bullying Decreases among Middle School and High School Students
Published in the American Journal of Public Health, a NIH-funded study found that bullying among students in grades six through 10 declined significantly between 1998 and 2010. A less dramatic decline in fighting among students was also observed. As part of this podcast, the study’s lead author explains the findings and their implications for policy and practice.
Principles of Adolescent Substance Use Disorder Treatment: A Research-Based Guide
This guide offers research-based principles and approaches for practitioners to consider when treating adolescent substance abuse, as well as information about settings in which treatment occurs, the role of family and medical professions in treatment and recovery, and frequently asked questions about adolescent drug use.
Research-based Strategies Help Reduce Underage Drinking
An evaluation of studies conducted since the 2007 release of the Surgeon General’s report, “Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking” reveals that the approaches outlined in the report show promise in preventing underage drinking. Some of the suggested strategies that were reviewed include nighttime restrictions on young drivers, strict license suspension policies, interventions focused on partnerships between college campuses and the community, and routine screening by physicians to identify and counsel underage drinkers.
Results From the 2014 Monitoring the Future Survey
The annual Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey measures the current drug use by and attitudes toward drugs of students in grades 8, 10, and 12. Results show that use of cigarettes and alcohol and abuse of prescription pain relievers among teens has declined since 2013, but rates of marijuana use were stable. Measured for the first time in the 2014, the use of electronic cigarettes is high among teens, with past-month use at 8.7% for 8th graders, 16.2% for 10th graders, and 17.1% for 12th graders.
Scientists Spot Gene Tied to Severe Autism
In a recent study, researchers claim to have discovered a new genetic cause of autism, singling out a rare gene mutation. The gene, CTNND2, provides instructions for making a protein called delta-catenin, which plays a crucial role in the nervous system. Researchers found that a group of girls with severe autism carried CTNND2 mutations that appeared to reduce the effectiveness of delta-catenin, potentially affecting their neurological development.
Teen Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Videos
The Choose Your Path activity includes two interactive videos that allow teens to assume the role of the main character and make decisions about whether to abuse certain prescription drugs.
Study: Counseling Beats School Suspension at Curbing Pot Use
A new study found that students at schools that impose suspensions for marijuana use are more likely to smoke pot than students at schools without such a policy. Data also show that counseling was found to be much more effective in reducing marijuana use than suspensions.
Study Finds Genetic Clue to Menopause-Like Condition in Young Women
New research from NIH contributes to the understanding of primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), a disorder that causes a woman’s ovaries to stop working before she is 40 years old, sometimes as early as in her teens. POI can affect fertility and puts women at high-risk the onset of osteoporosis and heart disease.
Targeting Suicide
Written by NIH Director Thomas Insel in light of the recent Germanwings crash, this blog post describes the importance of investing in research related to suicide, the tenth leading cause of death in the United States.
Study Defines Brain and Behavioral Effects of Teen Binge Drinking
A new study supported by the NIAAA suggests that adolescent binge drinking can disrupt gene regulation and brain development in ways that promote anxiety and excessive drinking behaviors that can persist into adulthood.
Treatment for Alcohol Problems: Finding and Getting Help
This web-based guide is intended for individuals and their families and friends seeking treatment for alcohol problems. It helps them understand available treatment choices and what to consider when selecting services.
Interns Graduate Project SEARCH-NIH Program, Eight Hired at NIH
Project SEARCH interns gathered on June 5, 2015, to celebrate their graduation from the program and their transition from interns to NIH staff members. Project SEARCH provides young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities the opportunity for vocational education and training to prepare for competitive employment opportunities.
Media-Smart Youth PowerPoint Presentation
Media-Smart Youth is a free, interactive education program for youth ages 11-13, designed to empower young people to think critically about the media’s influence and to make informed decisions about nutrition and physical activity. NIH has designed a Media-Smart Youth PowerPoint presentation (PDF, 9 pages) that organizations can use to inform audiences about the program.
E-cigarettes May Affect Teen Tobacco Use
This article describes a study by researchers at the University of Southern California that analyzed e-cigarette use among high school students and its relationship with trying smoking tobacco products. Researchers analyzed data from more than 2,500 students who reported they had not smoked any tobacco products at the start of ninth grade. After six months, 31% of those who had used e-cigarettes started smoking tobacco, compared to 8% of those who had never used e-cigarettes. Over the next six months, 25% of e-cigarette users reported they had smoked tobacco in the past six months, compared to 9% of those who had not used e-cigarettes.
Better Nutrition Every Day: How to Make Healthier Food Choices
This article provides tips for parents on making healthy food choices and shares advice on involving young people in preparing meals, making healthy choices when eating on the go, and reading food labels when grocery shopping.
E-cigarette Use Among Teens
This video describes a study analyzing health questionnaire data from more than 2,000 high school students, in which they were asked whether they currently, or had ever, smoked an e-cigarette or a combustible cigarette. The results show that more students had used an e-cigarette than a combustible cigarette, and had friends who used them. Almost half of e-cigarette users reported they did not believe there were health risks associated with the devices, and overall, students indicated a social environment more favorable to e-cigarettes.
Share with Youth: Body Weight Planner
USDA and NIH developed the Body Weight Planner, an interactive online tool that allows individuals who are trying to lose or gain weight see how they need to change their eating or physical activity levels to meet their goals. Users enter their age, weight, height, physical activity level, gender, and weight goal for personalized results. Users can also track their progress and receive periodic updates on how their progress matches up to their goals.
Webinar Recording: Bullying Prevention and Suicide Prevention for Schools
The recording is now available for the webinar, Bullying Prevention and Suicide Prevention for Schools: A Digital Approach From SAMHSA, presented by SAMHSA and the American School Health Association. The webinar provided an overview of the risk and impact of bullying and suicide in school-aged children and highlighted the connection between these public health issues and the "whole child" concept. The webinar also showcased SAMHSA's mobile applications, KnowBullying and Suicide Safe, and other key tools to promote bullying prevention and suicide prevention in schools.
Study: Large Percentage of Youth with HIV May Lack Immunity to Measles, Mumps, Rubella
Based on data gathered from more than 600 children and youth exposed to HIV in the womb, a study from NIH and CDC suggests that between one-third and one-half of individuals in the United States who were infected with HIV around the time of birth may not have sufficient immunity to ward off measles, mumps, and rubella, even though they may have been vaccinated against these diseases.
Resource: Address College Drinking
NIAAA released CollegeAIM, a matrix-based instrument that can help educate college staff about underage student drinking interventions and guide them in implementing evidence-based interventions. CollegeAIM also allows officials to compare approaches and select a combination that meet the needs of their students and campus.