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- Federal Resources
Federal Resources
Get Smart About Drugs
Get Smart About Drugs is DEA's websit for parents, educators, and caregivers that features information about different kinds of drugs and associated paraphernalia, trends and statistics related to substances and their use, teens and drug use, the consequences of using drugs, and how the public can be involved in drug prevention and awareness.
Resource: CampusDrugPrevention.gov
This website serves as a one-stop source of information on preventing and addressing college drug use, including data, news updates, drug scheduling and penalties, publications, research, and more. Institutions of higher education and their surrounding communities can use this information in their efforts to prevent drug abuse among college students and promote health and safety on campus.
Resource: Drugs of Abuse: A DEA Resource Guide
This guide (PDF, 94 pages) provides information on the most commonly abused and misused drugs in the U.S., including their effects on the body and mind, overdose potential, origin, legal status, and other key facts. Medical practitioners, law enforcement officials, educators, families, and communities can use this resource in their work to prevent and address substance abuse.
Campus Drug Prevention
Campus Drug Prevention is DEA’s website for professionals working to prevent drug misuse among college students.
Operation Prevention
Operation Prevention is DEA’s collaboration with Discovery Education that offers school-, community-, and workplace-based prevention resources.
Red Ribbon Campaign
The Red Ribbon Campaign is DEA's campaign for parents, teachers, educators, and community organizations to raise awareness about substance abuse.
Red Ribbon Patch Program
The Red Ribbon Patch Program is designed to provide Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts the opportunity to earn a patch from the DEA by engaging in anti-drug activities in celebration of Red Ribbon Week.
Get Smart about Drugs Publications
DEA's Get Smart about Drugs publications database, featuring English and Spanish versions of guides, posters, fact cards, and other materials.
- Drugs of Abuse: www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov/sites/getsmartaboutdrugs.com/files/publications/Drugs%20of%20Abuse%202020-Web%20Version-508%20compliant-4-24-20.pdf
- Growing Up Drug Free: A Parent’s Guide to Prevention: www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov/sites/getsmartaboutdrugs.com/files/publications/GrowingUpDrugFree%28Final-508%29%282017%29.pdf
- Preventing Marijuana Use Among Youth and Young Adults: www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov/sites/getsmartaboutdrugs.com/files/publications/Preventing%20Marijuana%20Use%20%28Final-508%29%20%286-11-19%29.pdf
- Prescription for Disaster: How Teens Abuse Medicine: www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov/sites/getsmartaboutdrugs.com/files/publications/DEA_PrescriptionForDisaster-2018ed_508_0.pdf
- Prevention with Purpose: A Strategic Planning Guide for Preventing Drug Misuse Among College Students: www.campusdrugprevention.gov/sites/default/files/Strategic%20Planning%20Guide%20%28Final-Online%29%20%281%29.pdf
- Fact cards for adults about various drugs – www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com/factcards
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is DEA's event for parents working with youth and young adults to plan programs to safely dispose of unwanted, unused, or expired prescription medicines.
Preventing and Reducing Teen Tobacco Use
OAH has updated its information on teen tobacco use to include new data and resources, including information about e-cigarettes. This page provides information on:
- The health impact of teen tobacco use
- Trends in use
- Risk and protective factors that impact a teen’s likelihood of starting or stopping smoking
- Federal, state, and community strategies and approaches to preventing and reducing teen tobacco use
- Tips for parents on communicating with their teen about smoking
- Additional resources on adolescent tobacco use and services to help users quit
Webcast Archive: Make the Connection: How Positive Youth Development Offers Promise for Teen Health and Teen Pregnancy Prevention
The archive of this OAH webcast, which highlighted the role of positive youth development in the prevention of teen pregnancy and other risky behaviors, is now available for viewing. A resource list (PDF, 4 pages) of suggested readings from the webcast speakers is also available, as well as the archived #TeenPYD Twitter conversation.
Positive Youth Development
This webpage provides a definition of positive youth development, information on the eight key practices organizations can consider when implementing the approach, and resources communities or programs can use to incorporate positive youth development into their work.
21st Century Community Learning Centers
This program supports the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low performing schools. The program: helps students meet state and local student standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and math; offers students a broad array of enrichment activities that can complement their regular academic programs; and offers literacy and other educational services to the families of participating children.
Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century
Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century identifies key program factors that can improve health outcomes related to adolescent behavior and provides evidence-based recommendations toward effective implementation of federal programming initiatives. This study explores normative adolescent development, the current landscape of adolescent risk behavior, core components of effective programs focused on optimal health, and recommendations for research, programs, and policies. You can download a free PDF copy (148 pages )here: https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25552/promoting-positive-adolescent-health-behaviors-and-outcomes-thriving-in-the
Celebrating Minority Mental Health Month: Spotlight on Tribal Behavioral Health Needs
Minority Mental Health Month provided an opportunity to raise awareness of how mental health and substance use issues affect ethnic minority groups. This blog post, written by a SAMHSA intern and member of the Rosebud Sioux and Oglala Sioux Tribes, describes a personal journey with addiction and provides hope and encouragement to tribal youth, tribal leaders, scholars, and community members to seek help and promote recovery and healing.
SAMHSA's "Talk. They Hear You." Start the Talk Trailer
Start the Talk is the newest component of SAMHSA's "Talk. They Hear You." Underage Drinking Prevention National Media Campaign aimed to reduce underage drinking among youth ages 9 to 15. This online role-play tool gives parents and caregivers the opportunity to practice talking with their children about underage drinking, helping to build practical skills and confidence to conduct these conversations in real life.
You Make SAMHSA Rock!
In this blog post, SAMHSA's Pamela Hyde announces her resignation and recounts SAMHSA’s accomplishments and its federal partners during her tenure.
IOM Recommendations Reflect Importance of Improving Quality of Behavioral Health Services
As highlighted in a recent blog post by HHS officials, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a new report, “Psychosocial Interventions for Mental and Substance Use Disorders.” The report is a result of a collaboration to identify key steps to ensure individuals receiving mental health and substance use services receive evidence-based, high-quality care. It details the reasons for the gap between what is effective and what is currently practiced, and it offers recommendations for how best to address this gap. It proposes a framework to establish standards for psychosocial interventions. The HHS blog post addresses how SAMHSA, ASPE, and other HHS agencies will implement the recommendations in the report.
SAMHSA's "Talk. They Hear You." Father-Son Video PSA
This PSA for SAMHSA's "Talk. They Hear You." campaign encourages parents, particularly fathers, to start an open dialogue with their children at a young age about drinking.
Talking with College-Bound Young Adults About Alcohol
This resource provides parents with information that can help them talk to their college-bound children about alcohol-use consequences. It also includes a companion video that illustrates the academic and health consequences of underage drinking for new college freshmen.
2014 NSDUH Report on Mental and Substance Use Disorders
SAMHSA’s 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health report shows progress in reducing substance use, especially among adolescents. However, it also indicates that adolescents are experiencing higher levels of depression than in past years.
How We Talk about It Matters
This blog post describes the Resource Guide for Reporting on Behavioral Health: How You Talk About It Matters, which provides information to the media about mental illness and substance use disorders. It also includes tips and supporting facts that can help ensure representations of mental illness and substance use disorders are fair, balanced, and accurate.
Sports and Mental Health
This blog post describes the benefits of participating in sports, as well as the risks. It highlights many of the programs and resources available to support athletes who may be struggling with mental illness or substance abuse.
(Maryland) Don't Be a Friend. Be a Parent. (PSA)
This extended PSA for "Don't Be a Friend. Be A Parent." shows parents the negative consequences of hosting an underage drinking party.
SAMHSA's "Talk. They Hear You." Mom's Thoughts Video PSA
This PSA video for SAMHSA's "Talk. They Hear You." campaign encourages parents to start an open dialogue with their children at a young age about drinking.