Breadcrumb
- Federal Resources
Federal Resources
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.
ADHD Treatments for Children: Be Sure They Get What’s Best
This blog post provides guidance to parents with children who have been recently diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), including information on medication and therapy. The blog also provides a list of recommended resources.
Adolescents Play a Key Role in Their Own ADHD Diagnosis and Treatment
The increased frequency of diagnosis in the past 10 years of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children prompted a review of diagnostic and treatment guidelines for ADHD that resulted in new recommended best practices for evaluating and treating adolescents with ADHD. These guidelines point to a need for adolescents with ADHD to take an active role in their own diagnosis and treatment.
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.
Adolescent Health
CDC's overview topic page on adolescent health, including alcohol, tobacco, and substance use; adolescent injuries; and youth violence.
Administration for Native Americans
The mission of ANA is to promote the goal of self-sufficiency and cultural preservation for Native Americans by providing social and economic development opportunities through financial assistance, training, and technical assistance to eligible Tribes and Native American communities, including American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and other Native Pacific Islanders organizations. ANA provides funding for community-based projects that are designed to improve the lives of Native children and families and reduce long-term dependency on public assistance.
Advancing the Self-Sufficiency and Well-Being of At-Risk Youth: A Conceptual Framework
This report explores how programs can help advance the self-sufficiency and well-being of at-risk youth. The research-based framework presented for efforts to help at-risk youth enter a career workforce trajectory is particularly relevant for youth who are or could be served by Administration for Children and Families programs but may also apply to other programs.
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.
Administration for Children and Families/Family and Youth Services Bureau Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs
Eligibility: Youth aged 16 to 22 who are unable to return to their homes
Focus: Life skills training
Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs that serve transition-age youth include the Transitional Living Program and the Maternity Group Homes Program.
The Transitional Living Program for Older Homeless Youth promotes the independence of youth between 16 and 22 years old who are unable to return to their homes. Grantees provide housing and a range of services, including life skills training, financial literacy instruction, and education and employment services. Youth might live in group homes or in their own apartments, depending on the program and each young person's independent living skills.
The Maternity Group Homes Program, part of the Transitional Living Program, supports homeless pregnant and/or parenting young people between the ages of 16 and 22, as well as their dependent children. Services are provided for up to 21 months.
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.
Behavioral Health, United States, 2012
This publication from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration draws on 40 different data sources to provide national estimates of numerous aspects of behavioral health in children, youth, and adults, including the prevalence of substance abuse and mental health disorders, rates of behavioral health service utilization, and the numbers of providers and facilities providing 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.