NCJ Number
231768
Date Published
September 2010
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This issue of ONDCP (Office of National Drug Control Policy) Update (August-September 2010) features discussions related to the importance of combating substance use and its consequences among students as they head back to school, in order to facilitate their learning experiences and good health.
Abstract
Substance abuse puts youth at risk for school failure and an array of health, social, and legal consequences. As shown by the 2009 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, students who do not use marijuana, drink alcohol, or take prescription drugs illegally receive higher grades than classmates who engage in substance abuse. Although rates of teen drug and alcohol use have remained stable over the past few years, on any given day more than 4,000 teens will use an illicit drug for the first time; almost 7,000 will drink alcohol for the first time; and more than 2,000 will, for the first time, use a prescription pain reliever without a doctor's prescription. Although school-based and community-based substance-abuse prevention programs are important, parents remain the single most potent influence in guiding and influencing their children's behaviors. Parents must learn the warning signs of possible drug use and the risks of specific drugs, as well as how to reduce the chances that their children will become involved with drugs or alcohol. One section of this newsletter describes the components of a drug prevention program on college campuses that has helped divert students from risky behaviors that can lead to drug dependence and other harmful consequences. Entitled Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT), the program uses questionnaires to screen for possible drug or alcohol problems and prompts physicians to discuss substance abuse with their patients. Ways of celebrating Recovery Month in September are suggested.