Federal Resources

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. 

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. 

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.

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. 

The National Institute on Drug Abuse published the results of the 2012 Monitoring the Future study, which is conducted annually  to better understand drug abuse trends among eighth, tenth, and twelfth graders. The 2012 survey included information about the use of bath salts.

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.

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. 

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. 

This is the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign's site for teens. The site allows teens to examine the negative influences in their lives and how to rise above them. It offers extensive drug information in a fun, exploratory way

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. 

“A Circle of Healing for Native Children Endangered by Drugs” is a seven-part video series that highlights best practices for meeting the needs of drug-endangered youth in tribal communities. Produced in collaboration with tribal and federal partners, the videos feature testimonials and examples of cultural practices that tribal communities can use to help traumatized children who are healing from drug endangerment.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics produces this publication annually on the well being of children and families across the U.S.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

BeTobaccoFree.gov is a website from the Department of Health and Human Services that brings together the best information on the health effects of tobacco use and the benefits of quitting smoking. The website contains information specifically targeted to teens about the risks of using tobacco products and resources for parents and teachers to help keep teens tobacco free

This resource provides technical assistance to practitioners in state, local, and tribal justice systems.

The Office of Human Services in the Bureau of Indian Affairs promotes the safety, financial security and social health of Indian communities and individual Indian people.