April is
Alcohol Awareness Month, which is the perfect opportunity for your community to focus on underage and harmful drinking prevention. Hosting an event in April can help link the event to national and local coverage of the observance, maximizing your promotional efforts. Learn how
Communities Talk events have contributed to national progress in reducing underage drinking rates in
SAMHSA’s recent blog post from Luiz Vasquez, LICSW, Acting Director, SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.
In 2016, the Center for Prevention and Counseling in New Jersey held their
Communities Talk event during Alcohol Awareness Month to honor youth who “Elect to be Alcohol-Free.” For inspiration, read more about their
event.
National Prevention Week: Focus on Preventing Underage Drinking and Alcohol Misuse
Join communities across the nation in celebrating SAMHSA’s
National Prevention Week (NPW) May 12–18, 2019. Each year, communities and organizations come together to raise awareness about the importance of substance use prevention and positive mental health.
The NPW 2019 theme is “Inspiring Action. Changing Lives.”, and also includes daily themes on major substance use and mental health topics. Tuesday, May 14, focuses on the prevention of underage drinking and alcohol misuse. Consider hosting your
Communities Talk event on Tuesday to align with that topic and amplify your voice with a national observance.
Tell us about your event and be a 2019 Success Story!
Following your event, you will receive an e-mail survey. Please complete the survey to share the positive impact the
Communities Talk initiative has had on preventing and decreasing underage drinking in your community.
Remember to answer brief questions in your online organizer’s profile. What you share about the results of your event could be highlighted on the
Communities Talk Success Stories page. Success Stories are a great way to show local administrators and partners the value of your prevention efforts.
Help inspire other communities by uploading event photos, flyers, news clippings, and more to your online portal. You also can share event photos and videos on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram using #CommunitiesTalk. If you have any questions about how to share your materials, email
info@stopalcoholabuse.net.