National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week, Jan. 25 – 31
Help educate young people about the effects and consequences of drug and alcohol use by taking part in National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week. Hosted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Drug Facts Week takes place from Jan. 26 to 31.
In its sixth year, National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week was developed by NIDA to educate teens with science-based facts about the effects and consequences that drugs have on the brain, body, and behavior. By bringing young adults and scientific experts together with a common goal, National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week aims to shatter the myths and empower teens with the knowledge to make positive choices.
Here’s how you can take part:
• Use your social media accounts to share information with your followers using the tweets provided below. Be sure to give a “shout-out” to the Southern Saratoga County Youth Empowerment (SSCYE) Partnership by using our twitter handle, @SSCYE1.
• Plan an educational event for your community using NIDA’s step-by-step toolkit and free educational materials. More information here: https://teens.drugabuse.gov/national-drug-alcohol-facts-week
• Register here https://www.nidachat.org/register.aspx for the Drugs & Alcohol Chat Day scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 26th from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., or take the National Drug & Alcohol IQ Challenge Quiz https://teens.drugabuse.gov/quiz/national-drug-facts-week/take-iq-challenge/2015
SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGING
Marijuana
-
A study showed people 13-38 who used marijuana regularly from teen to adulthood had a significant drop in IQ even if they quit #drugfacts
-
Marijuana use more than doubles a driver’s risk of being in an accident. #drugfacts
-
Early marijuana use can increase the risk of psychosis, a mental disorder where delusions and hallucinations are common symptoms #drugfacts
-
Is Marijuana addicting? 1 in 11 youth who smoke marijuana seek treatment. #drugfacts
-
THC in marijuana, deadens neurons in the part of the brain that’s in charge of short-term memory #drugfacts
Alcohol
-
About 5,000 people under 21 die each year from injuries caused by underage drinking #drugfacts
-
More than 4 in 10 people who begin drinking before age 15 eventually become alcoholics #drugfacts
-
Teens who drink heavily are 3 times more likely to try to hurt themselves than those who don’t. #drugfactsPrescription Drugs
-
In 2007, prescription pain meds were involved in more overdose deaths than heroin and cocaine combined #drugfacts
-
Half of the young people who injected heroin in 3 recent studies started out abusing prescription drugs first #drugfacts
-
Students who abuse Adderall are 9x more likely to use cocaine #drugfactsTobacco
-
Most people who start smoking in their teens become regular smokers before they’re 18 #drugfacts
-
1 in 3 youth smokers will eventually die from a tobacco related disease #drugfacts
-
There are 69 human and animal carcinogens in tobacco smoke #drugfacts
-
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death causing almost half a million deaths each year, many from cancer #drugfacts
General
-
The 3 drugs most often mentioned in ER visits related to drug use are cocaine, marijuana, and prescription drugs #drugfacts
-
The drugs with the highest risk for addiction are heroin, cigarettes, and cocaine #drugfacts