Author: Charles Frank

2022 National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week NDAFW

NDAFW is an annual, week-long, health observance that inspires dialogue about the science of drug use and addiction among youth. It provides an opportunity to bring together scientists, students, educators, healthcare providers, and community partners—to help advance the science, so that we can improve the prevention and awareness of substance misuse. Register your event or activity so it can be featured on the order free materials, and learn more. NIDA launched this annual observance in 2010 to encourage communities to host events that educate teens about the science of drug use and addiction. The NDAFW website offers links to events, resources, planning guides, activity and promotional ideas, and social media tips.

Teens that are interested in hosting events must partner with an adult who meets this criterion (including your parents!). Join OJJDP in observing National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW) from March 21 to 27, 2022. The National Institute on Drug Abuse  (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism host this weeklong observance. Overcoming a substance use disorder is not as simple as resisting the temptation to take drugs through willpower alone.

If you or someone you care about is abusing drugs or experiencing serious mental health problems, we can help. Reach out to us today to learn more about our treatment programs, including residential and virtual therapy options. From rural Montana to college campuses in Florida, the success stories from SAMHSA’s Communities Talk to Prevent Underage Drinking initiative offer compelling examples of drug and alcohol misuse prevention at work.

National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week® (NDAFW)

NIDA and NIAAA are part of the National Institutes of Health, and work with leading organizations, media outlets, and other Government agencies to spread the word about NDAFW. Participate in National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW) this March 20th – March 26th and help share facts about drugs, alcohol, and addiction in your community. NDAFW is an annual, week-long health observance that inspires dialogue about the science of drug use and addiction among youth.

National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week®, or NDAFW, is an annual health observance that inspires dialogue about the science of drug use and addiction among youth. It provides an opportunity to bring together scientists, students, educators, healthcare providers, and community partners to help advance the science and address youth drug and alcohol use in communities and nationwide. It was launched in 2010 by scientists at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to stimulate educational events in communities so teens can learn what science has taught us about drug use and addiction. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism became a partner in 2016, and alcohol has been added as a topic area for the week.

1. In an evolving public health landscape, it is critical that we prioritize data-informed prevention strategies when responding to the misuse of drugs and alcohol.
2. Overcoming a substance use disorder is not as simple as resisting the temptation to take drugs through willpower alone.
3. From rural Montana to college campuses in Florida, the success stories from SAMHSA’s Communities Talk to Prevent Underage Drinking initiative offer compelling examples of drug and alcohol misuse prevention at work.
4. We understand it may not be possible for some event planners to hold events during the week of NDAFW.

These disorders are very complex, and this post does not take into account the unique circumstances for every individual. For specific questions about your health needs or that of a loved one, seek the help of a healthcare professional. Many factors influence whether an adolescent tries drugs, including the availability of drugs within the neighborhood, inherited genetic variability, one’s academic environment and whether the adolescent’s friends are using them. Violence, physical or emotional abuse, mental illness or drug use in the household increases the likelihood an adolescent will use drugs. This month (March 21-27), the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s (NIDA) National Drugs and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW) offers another opportunity to advance community-based prevention initiatives.

National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (March,

NIDA will also offer videos and downloadable resources to support NDAFW events. This observance supports community events that bring together scientists, students, educators, healthcare providers, and community partners to discuss the science of drug use and addiction among youth. National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW) is held in March each year and is a national health awareness week that offers teenagers and young adults clinically researched facts about drugs, alcohol, and addiction. The following are facts about alcohol and drug abuse that can be shared with teenagers. NDAFW was created to improve the prevention and awareness of substance misuse in communities and nationwide by connecting everyone, from scientists, students, and educators to health care providers and community partners. In an evolving public health landscape, it is critical that we prioritize data-informed prevention strategies when responding to the misuse of drugs and alcohol.

Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) laws specify the legal age when an individual can purchase alcoholic beverages.

Share information with your family and friends that will inspire dialogue about preventing youth drug and alcohol use. Teenagers use and abuse drugs for many different reasons, including the desire for new experiences, to fit in with their peers or to cope with problems/stress. Adolescents are “biologically wired” to seek new experiences and take risks, as well as to carve out their own identity. Trying drugs may fulfill all of these normal developmental drives, but in an unhealthy way that can have severe long-term consequences. According to the most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data, 29% of high schoolers reported current alcohol use while 37% reported using marijuana one or more times in their life. Teens who drink or use drugs are more likely to be sexually active and less likely to use contraception than teens who do not.

Consequences associated with alcohol addiction in teenagers

The NDAFW website offers resources, including a map of events, event planning, activity and promotional ideas, and social media tips. NIDA will also offer free print resources and educational interactive web activities to support NDAFW events. NDAFW helps inspire dialogue about the science of alcohol and other drug use—how it affects the brain and body, and how it may lead to addiction among youth. By communicating the long-term, harmful effects on the brain from using alcohol and drugs, NIDA educates teens on the importance of prevention. Raising awareness of the consequences of drug use among teenagers can save lives.

Youth.gov is the U.S. government website that helps you create, maintain, and strengthen effective youth programs. This blog is for informational purposes only and should not be a substitute for medical advice. We understand that everyone’s situation is unique, and this content is to provide an overall understanding of mental health disorders.

Used their ingenuity to push prevention work forward, even when COVID-19 made gathering in person impossible. We understand it may not be possible for some event planners to hold events during the week of NDAFW. Registered activities held any time in the same month as the week of NDAFW can be recognized as NDAFW events. We would still like to hear about your event and support you in any way possible. Make sure to register your event, have it listed on the Events Map, or promote it as an NDAFW event. Please send an email to with information about your event, the dates, and any questions you may have.

It’s National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week!

SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) from 2020 shows that 57 percent of youth ages 12 to 17 did not think there was great harm in having five or more drinks once or twice a week. Even more concerning is that as many as 62.6 percent of those in that age group did not think it was very harmful to smoke marijuana once or twice a week. Tweet, blog, or update your Facebook status to help spread the word about your NDAFW event.