Delay, Don’t Play

— Written By
en Español / em Português
Español

El inglés es el idioma de control de esta página. En la medida en que haya algún conflicto entre la traducción al inglés y la traducción, el inglés prevalece.

Al hacer clic en el enlace de traducción se activa un servicio de traducción gratuito para convertir la página al español. Al igual que con cualquier traducción por Internet, la conversión no es sensible al contexto y puede que no traduzca el texto en su significado original. NC State Extension no garantiza la exactitud del texto traducido. Por favor, tenga en cuenta que algunas aplicaciones y/o servicios pueden no funcionar como se espera cuando se traducen.


Português

Inglês é o idioma de controle desta página. Na medida que haja algum conflito entre o texto original em Inglês e a tradução, o Inglês prevalece.

Ao clicar no link de tradução, um serviço gratuito de tradução será ativado para converter a página para o Português. Como em qualquer tradução pela internet, a conversão não é sensivel ao contexto e pode não ocorrer a tradução para o significado orginal. O serviço de Extensão da Carolina do Norte (NC State Extension) não garante a exatidão do texto traduzido. Por favor, observe que algumas funções ou serviços podem não funcionar como esperado após a tradução.


English

English is the controlling language of this page. To the extent there is any conflict between the English text and the translation, English controls.

Clicking on the translation link activates a free translation service to convert the page to Spanish. As with any Internet translation, the conversion is not context-sensitive and may not translate the text to its original meaning. NC State Extension does not guarantee the accuracy of the translated text. Please note that some applications and/or services may not function as expected when translated.

Collapse ▲

October has been designated as Substance Use Prevention Month since 2011. Although substance misuse has always been a cause for concern, the need for education and awareness has grown exponentially over the last few years. The pandemic created situations and scenarios no one was prepared for, taking a toll on everyone mentally and physically. 

  • Prevent Substance MisuseThe COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in people misusing drugs and dying from drug overdoses.
  • There were more than 99,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States in the first year of the pandemic; an increase of nearly 30% from the year before. 3,304 of these were in NC- an increase of 40% from 2019.
  • Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the Senate to reauthorize and improve existing programs that address substance use and mental health treatment.

Prevention is about delaying the onset of first use, whether alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana—the most commonly used substances among teens—until the brain has fully matured. Most scientists say this happens at the age of 25. The earlier someone starts using substances, the greater their chances of developing a substance use disorder (SUD), and the more severe their illness is likely to be. 

90% of Americans with a substance use disorder began using substances before the age of 18. 

This year as things return to a more “normal” state, there’s no better time to get involved in prevention efforts – especially with our youth population. Illicit drugs are being designed to appeal to youth to increase profits. Many rural areas aren’t equipped with enough mental health resources to reach those struggling with issues brought about by the pandemic, specifically related to youth, so they’re reaching out for alternative solutions. 

US legislators have seen such a drastic increase in youth substance misuse, they specifically deemed October as Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Month in September 2022. 

This is why prevention education is so incredibly important. Join in the celebrations for Red Ribbon Week, volunteer with Appalachian Youth to Youth (AY2Y), support the Mitchell-Yancey Substance Abuse Task Force, or simply sit down and talk with your youth about substance misuse. The Empowering Youth and Families Program (EYFP) offered through Yancey 4-H and FCS is a great way to engage your family in these discussions. 

For more information about any of the above groups or programs, please reach out to Niki Maness, (828) 682-6186.