Back-to-School and College: Substance Misuse Prevention Strategies
08/09/2022
Back-to-School and College: Substance Misuse Prevention Strategies
Summer’s over and students are heading back to school and college. It’s an important time for parents and caregivers to connect with teens and young adults to reinforce clear no-use rules about alcohol and other substances. Teachers, counselors, and administrators can be prepared with evidence-based prevention tools to help teens and young adults make smart choices for their future health and well-being.
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2020 an estimated 32 percent of 18- to 20-year-olds and 9 percent of 12- to 20- year-olds reported monthly alcohol use.1 About 20 percent of 18- to 20-year-olds and 6 percent of 12- to 20- year-olds reported using marijuana in the past month.2 Resources from the federal Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD) can help prepare you to reduce youth substance misuse and lay the groundwork for a healthy school year.
Prevention Resources from ICCPUD agencies
- SAMHSA youth and young adult prevention resources
- NIDA resources for parents, caregivers, and educators
- NIAAA college drinking resources
- CDC resources for schools, parents, and caregivers
1 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2021). Results from the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed tables. Table 2.9B (REVISED). Retrieved from: https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt35323/NSDUHDetailedTabs2020v25/NSDUHDetailedTabs2020v25/NSDUHDetTabsSect2pe2020.htm#tab2-9b
2 Ibid.