This October marks the second annual National Substance Abuse Prevention Month – an observance to highlight the vital role of substance abuse prevention in both individual and community health and to remember those who have lost their lives to substance abuse. The Office of National Drug Control Policy joins President Obama in celebrating National Substance Abuse Prevention Month and encourages prevention efforts this month and all year long to ensure the health of teens and young adults. My Administration proposed a rule this summer that reinforces the fundamental goal of the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, ensuring families have the same access to mental health and substance use benefits as they do to physical health benefits. The rule proposes making it easier to get in-network mental health care and eliminating administrative barriers to access that keep people from getting the care they need, when they need it.

We have already provided more than $120 billion for quality tutoring, mental health, and afterschool programs. We are supporting Drug-Free Communities coalitions in all 50 States, giving local communities the tools and resources to address their own youth substance use issues in ways that are culturally appropriate. We are working to ensure that States leverage Medicaid funding to support schools providing mental health and substance use care to our youth. We are also working to ensure full parity between physical and mental health care so all Americans have access to quality, affordable care, including for substance use. My Administration is also committed to advancing racial equity in our approach to drug policy — implementing fairer, more effective, and more culturally resonant policies to prevent, address, and treat substance use disorder.

Philadelphia celebrates National Condom Month in February

In 2020, more than 93,000 people died from an overdose — 93,000 families forced to bury a piece of their souls. The impact of this crisis echoes in communities across the Nation, in the empty chairs in classrooms and around kitchen tables. During National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month, we reaffirm our commitment to helping America’s youth overcome this epidemic and lead healthy, fulfilling lives. Today’s young people represent the most gifted, talented, and tolerant generation in American history. During National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month, we recommit to providing families, educators, and communities with access to lifesaving resources. Together, we will ensure that young people have the tools they need to thrive.

The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the need to provide more resources to address substance use disorder. Substance use disorder touches families in every community, and it is essential that we invest in a broad range of services, including prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery support services for mental health and substance use. Preventing substance use during adolescence has been shown to significantly reduce the chance of developing a substance use disorder later in life. For every dollar we spend today on effective school-based prevention programs, we save $18 in the future by avoiding potential medical costs and boosting productivity on the job. Prevention programs also make young people less likely to one day have children who use substances, highlighting the far-reaching value these efforts have across generations.

That is why beating the opioid epidemic is a key pillar of my Unity Agenda. It is one of the most pressing issues facing our Nation that we must all tackle together. My Administration has invested over $169 billion in total for drug control policies and programs, including programs to expand evidence-based prevention programs for our youth.

Elected officials

Millions of Americans suffer from substance abuse, which includes underage drinking, alcohol dependency, non-medical use of prescription drugs, abuse of over-the-counter medications, and illicit drug use. Protecting your family – especially children and youth – from accidental ingestion of drugs and medicine is important. By ensuring proper storage of substances, you can prevent your loved ones from serious illness or even death. This creative theme was submitted by Cheryl Holsapfel, Digital Art Teacher, and Devansh Aggarwal from Solon Middle School. It serves as a powerful reminder that ordinary Americans nationwide contribute significantly to their communities every day by embracing a drug-free lifestyle.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-seventh. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-sixth. This is true of over-the-counter, legally prescribed, and illegal substances.

1. I know that together, with resources and smart policy, we can overcome it.
2. I call on communities, parents, caregivers, educators, employers, healthcare professionals, law enforcement officials, faith and community leaders, and all Americans to take action to promote evidence-based prevention and improve the health of our Nation.
3. For every dollar we spend today on effective school-based prevention programs, we save $18 in the future by avoiding potential medical costs and boosting productivity on the job.
4. Included are youth facts, funding information, and tools to help you assess community assets, generate maps of local and federal resources, search for evidence-based youth programs, and keep up-to-date on the latest, youth-related news.

In schools, we are working to hire and train more mental health counselors, social workers, and other health professionals supporting students. We are providing educators and school-based medical professionals marijuana withdrawal: symptoms prevention treatment and more with resources to prevent substance use and fatal overdoses. And we are making it easier for schools to bill Medicaid to deliver health services, including mental health and substance use care.

Awareness and Health Observances

Prevention strategies targeting the root of the problem are essential to curb drug use and help people lead healthier lives. Early intervention helps prevent substance abuse and reduce the negative consequences of addiction before they occur. Through community-based efforts involving youth, parents, educators, and government officers, we can strengthen the support systems that deter our Nation’s young people from drug consumption and improve both academic performance and workforce readiness. On the eve of Youth Substance Use Prevention Month and Substance Misuse Prevention Month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), has awarded $42.6 million in Strategic Prevention Framework – Partnerships for Success (SPF-PFS) grants to 17 states and 60 communities (located across 33 states). Increasing youth substance use prevention is a key goal in the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Drug Control Strategy, and an essential strategy to helping to beat the overdose epidemic – a core pillar of President Biden’s Unity Agenda for the nation.

When you purchase Red Ribbon themed merchandise, you’re helping support drug-use prevention efforts nationwide. National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week® (NDAFW), an annual health observance, connects youth with resources about drugs, alcohol, and related 9 best natural erectile dysfunction treatments for 2024 health topics. Our features highlight prevention, awareness, or screening for different public health topics related to drug overdose in short, user-friendly articles. Prevention and treatment of drug overdoses improve when we raise our voices as one.

Throughout National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, ONDCP will orchestrate Federal prevention activities and support participation in the observance within states and communities. During National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month, we rededicate ourselves benzodiazepines to building a better future for America’s children. Every young person deserves to live a full and healthy life and have every opportunity to reach their highest potential. For every dollar invested in prevention, $7 are saved in drug-addiction treatment.

Connect with City government

We’ll be in touch with the latest information on how President Biden and his administration are working for the American people, as well as ways you can get involved and help our country build back better.

CDC and partners celebrate health awareness and observances and each year. Here you will find links to information, tools, and resources on yearly observances related to our drug overdose topics that are meant to inform the public and spread awareness. Over the past 2 years, we have seen immense progress, but there is still work to do. That means we are investing in what works — prevention, treatment, and recovery support.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2022 as National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month. Let us all take action to implement practice and evidence-based prevention strategies and improve the health of our Nation. During National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month, we rededicate ourselves to transforming the lives of America’s youth through prevention. We commit to building and supporting communities where young Americans can live healthy and fulfilling lives, free from the dangers of substance use, laying the groundwork for strong future generations. Communities receiving this funding will use the Strategic Prevention Framework (also available in Spanish) to guide their prevention planning efforts. Studies show that adherence to the principles in the Framework increases the likelihood that prevention efforts will focus on the substance use problems impacting their community, produce anticipated outcomes, reduce harmful behaviors, and keep communities healthier and safer.