What's New articles share information to help event organizers plan, host, and evaluate events aimed at mobilizing a community around evidence-based strategies to prevent alcohol and other drug misuse.
An analysis of data from the 2023 Monitoring the Future survey, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), shows that approximately 11 percent of 12th grade students across the United States reported past-year use of delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8-THC, or delta-8 for short). Delta-8 is a psychoactive substance that is typically derived from hemp, a variety of the cannabis sativa plant. Delta-8 has intoxicating effects similar to delta-9-THC (delta-9), the primary THC component responsible for the “high” that people may experience from using cannabis.
Date: 04/11/2024
April is Alcohol Awareness Month—an important opportunity to highlight the positive impact of the effectiveness of underage drinking prevention. Use this SAMHSA developed toolkit to raise awareness and understanding of alcohol use and misuse. It offers tools to assist in educating communities on how individuals struggle with alcohol use and offers resources and support.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for misuse of medications. The next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is April 27, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. To find a collection site, go to dea.gov/takebackday.
The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) is a public health surveillance system that monitors emerging trends and characteristics of substance-related emergency department (ED) visits. This short report focuses on estimates of alcohol-related ED visits from January 2021 through September 2023. The report also contains statistics about alcohol-related and polysubstance emergency room visits for those under age 21.
On March 13, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose, a nationwide call-to-action to organizations and businesses to save lives by committing to increase training on and access to lifesaving opioid overdose reversal medications. Organizations may make a commitment and share a story of how their efforts saved a life. This work builds on SAMHSA’s comprehensive efforts to expand access to naloxone and other opioid overdose reversal medications, including state naloxone saturation plans, naloxone saturation state policy academies, and SAMHSA’s bi-monthly learning collaborative with state and community partners working to get these lifesaving medications into communities across the country.
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