National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week is a health campaign created by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. It occurs on the third week of March each year and is recognized around the country with educational events. The goal of this week-long event is to increase awareness in teens and to educate them about prevention and deter abuse.  We will do this by discussing 10 facts about drugs and alcohol, and suggesting how others can participate.

10 Facts About Drugs & Alcohol

  1. More than 70,000 Americans died from a drug-related overdose in 2019, including illicit drugs and prescription opioids.
  2. Between 2010 and 2019, opioid-related overdoses more than doubled, rising from 21,088 to 49,860.
  3. In 2019, more than 37% of 12th graders reported using marijuana in the past year.
  4. Adderall and Ritalin are prescription drugs used to treat ADHD but are commonly abused by high school and college students. 
  5. Approximately 14 million people across the U.S. struggle with alcohol addiction.
  6. Addiction to drugs and alcohol affects people of all races, religions, and socioeconomic statuses.
  7. The efficacy of an addiction treatment program is the same whether the individual is admitted voluntarily or not.
  8. Risk factors for teens developing a chemical addiction include a family history of addiction, mental health issues, behavior and impulse control issues, trauma, environmental factors, and the age they are when they first try drugs or alcohol.
  9. Although the presence or absence of risk factors may influence the likelihood of developing an addiction, they cannot be used to predict anything with certainty.
  10. Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental deaths in the United States.

How To Participate in National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week

Whether you are a parent, child, teacher, or really anyone, there are many ways to participate in National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week. As long as you are bringing awareness to the dangers and risks of using and abusing drugs and alcohol, then you are contributing to the goal of the campaign. Here are a few ideas for how you could participate.

  • Take a few minutes to do your own research and learn some facts about drug and alcohol use. 
  • Post one or more facts about drug and alcohol use on social media.
  • Attend an online or local National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week event.
  • If you are an educator, you have a unique opportunity to reach children possibly before they are faced with choices to use substances.
  • Ask each of your students to research facts about substance use and share one fact with that class that stood out to them. Ask them to use reliable sources and to cite the source appropriately.
  • Create a bulletin board with facts about substance use.
  • Bring in a guest speaker. Perhaps a law enforcement officer or a recovering addict who can speak about how they have seen substance abuse affect people’s lives.

How To Find #NDAFW Events Near Me?

In 2021, National Drug & Alcohol Facts Weeks has 2,008 registered events all around the United States. There are even a few international events in Cuba, Mexico, Portugal, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Ukraine, and more. No matter where you are in the world, you can find an event at teens.drugabuse.gov.