March 17th-23rd is National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW) organized by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Every year in March, National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week occurs to educate youth, parents, and communities about the realities of substance use. Substance use prevention agencies play a vital role in this yearly event and all year round. Cortland Prevention Resources (CPR), a division of Family and Children’s Counseling Services, shares the same goal as NDAFW. CPR’s mission is to educate, engage, and empower youth, families, and communities to prevent and reduce substance use, promoting positive choices and healthy communities. NDAFW serves as a platform for prevention agencies to amplify their efforts by providing science-based facts, evidence-informed education and resources to counteract the myths to help people make informed decisions about substance use and live a healthy life.
How Cortland Prevention Resources and NDAFW work together:
- Educating Youth with Science-Based Facts
NDAFW focuses on providing facts about drugs and alcohol, debunking the myths and misinformation youth may see on social media or hear from peers. Cortland Prevention Resources offers a free evidenced-based intervention, Teen Intervene, that can help youth by providing personalized education to teens that may be at risk of experimenting with substances.
- Reducing Substance Use and Addiction Risks
Research shows that early prevention efforts significantly decrease the likelihood of future substance misuse. Cortland Prevention Resources provides free evidenced-based programs K-12 Too Good for Drugs and Too Good for Violence to Cortland County schools that teach coping skills, decision-making, the science of brain development, resistance to peer pressure, facts about substances, and reducing the risk of addiction.
- Supporting Parents, Schools, and Communities
Cortland Prevention Resources offers free tailored presentations, resources, and workshops to help parents, teachers, and community leaders stay up to date on current drug trends, tips to effectively talk to youth about drugs and alcohol and anything related to reducing and preventing unhealthy substance use.
- Promoting Mental Health and Well-Being
Substance use is often linked to mental health challenges like anxiety and depression. Cortland Prevention resources offers two services that address and support youth mental health. One is called Gizmo’s Pawesome Guide to Mental Health. This program is for 3rd grade students that introduces the concept of mental health, how to take care of their own mental health daily, and identifying healthy coping strategies. Second, is the Youth Mental Health First Aid Training. This training is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, school staff, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis.
While National Alcohol and Drug Facts Week is a one-week observance, here at Cortland Prevention Resources, we use it as a springboard for long-term prevention efforts. To learn more or if you want to hear more about our programming and services, please visit our website www.cortlandprevention.org, or visit Prevention’s Facebook page, or contact us at msimmons@familycs.org