National Drug Facts Week to Promote Conversation About Drugs With Teens

During National Drug Facts Week, January 27 to February 2, communities and schools around the country will host events to allow teens to learn how drugs affect the brain, body and behavior.

National Drug Facts Week, sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), is designed to counter the myths about drugs that teens get online and from TV, movies, music and friends, by presenting them with scientific facts about drug abuse and addiction. Teens and experts will come together in school assemblies, after school clubs, athletic events, book clubs and other venues.

According to NIDA, about one-third of high school seniors report using an illicit drug sometime in the past year. More than 10 percent report nonmedical use of potentially addictive prescription painkillers, and more than 20 percent say they have smoked marijuana in the past month.

NIDA notes that many teens are not aware of the risks that drugs present to their health and to their success in school, and of the dangers while driving under the influence. “When teens are given the scientific facts about drugs, they can be better prepared to make good decisions for themselves and they can share this information with others,” according to a Drug Facts Week fact sheet.

For more information about events, materials and experts, visit the National Drug Facts Week website.