Substance Use Prevention

Many challenging situations confront today’s youth. The Drug-Free Office focuses on limiting youth access to and the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD). The popularity of vaping devices has led to an increase in youth using nicotine-containing products. This section includes printable, easy-to-read ATOD Fact Sheets from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). These fact sheets will provide information on individual substances and how they affect youth.

The rules parents/caregivers set, the relationships they build, and the conversations they have about alcohol, marijuana, nicotine, and vaping (or any other drug) make a BIG difference in the decisions teens make. Kids who learn about the risks of alcohol and other drugs from their parents (and know their parents’ no-use expectations) are less likely to ever use these drugs compared to peers who get inconsistent messages about substance use from their parents/caregivers.

SAMHSA’s Talk They Hear You campaign is committed to skill building for parents and caregivers to start and have an ongoing conversation about substance misuse with youth. The “Talk. They Hear You.” campaign aims to reduce underage drinking and substance use among children and teens under the age of 21 by providing parents and caregivers with information and resources they need to address alcohol and other drug use with their children early.