“Drug abuse starts early and peaks during the teen years. This increased risk is partly due to adolescents’ heightened sensitivity to social influences (friends) and their still developing brains, particularly areas critical to judgment and impulse control”. DEA
The websites below cover alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, meth, painkillers, prescription drugs and more.
In this video, you will learn:
How to recognize symptoms of an opioid overdose
How to administer NARCAN™ Nasal Spray
How to evaluate and support
As you are well-aware, fentanyl and other harmful drugs are running rampant across our state. Too many kids are over-dosing and are at risk of dying. Some schools and some school districts are purchasing Narcan kits in an attempt to respond to an overdose case that may occur in a school setting. I think this is a good idea. I have listed some thoughts for your consideration when moving in this direction: (this is not an all-inclusive list…but this is merely a beginning point for discussion.)
A guide for concerned community bystanders (Kentucky Opioid Response Effort)
REMS – Planning teams at K-12 schools and institutions of higher education (IHEs) can specifically address the risk of opioid-related emergencies, including overdose, in their emergency operations plans (EOPs) by including a Threat- and Hazard-Specific Annex for drug overdose. This fact sheet provides information and strategies for addressing opioid overdoses at K-12 schools and IHEs through EOPs and other preparedness activities.
Renee Shaw and her guests explore the issue of substance use prevention among adolescents. The program looks at the importance of messaging, positive youth development, mental health screening, community coalitions, parent education and more. Part of KET’s ongoing Inside Opioid Addiction initiative.
Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, morphine, and many others. These drugs are chemically related and interact with opioid receptors on nerve cells in the body and brain. Opioid pain relievers are generally safe when taken for a short time and as prescribed by a doctor, but because they produce euphoria in addition to pain relief, they can be misused (taken in a different way or in a larger quantity than prescribed, or taken without a doctor’s prescription). Regular use—even as prescribed by a doctor—can lead to dependence and, when misused, opioid pain relievers can lead to overdose incidents and deaths. An opioid overdose can be reversed with the drug naloxone when given right away.
Get the facts on the misuse and abuse of prescription opioids such as hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, and codeine, and the illegal opioid, heroin. Opioids are a class of drugs chemically similar to alkaloids found in opium poppies. Historically they have been used as painkillers, but they also have great potential for misuse. Repeated use of opioids greatly increases the risk of developing an opioid use disorder. The use of illegal opiate drugs such as heroin and the misuse of legally available pain relievers such as oxycodone and hydrocodone can have serious negative health effects. According to the CDC, 44 people die every day in the United States from overdose of prescription painkillers.
In October 2017, the President and acting U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary determined that a public health emergency exists nationwide. Opioids can help in the management of certain types of pain, but they pose serious health, financial, and social consequences when misused.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) – is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA’s mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities. Below are just a few of the reproducible publications available from SAMHSA:
This September, all Kentucky schools serving 6th grade and older will receive a toolkit of resources to help staff address e-cigarette use. The kit includes evidence-based prevention curricula, tools to help kids and adults quit tobacco products, free posters and business cards, guidance on developing and enforcing policies, and more!
Ask your principal about the Tobacco-Free Schools Toolkit, or email the Kentucky Tobacco Prevention & Cessation Program at ky.tobaccofree@ky.gov.
Learn moreParents & Educators – Get educational resources and find the latest science-based information about the health effects and consequences of drug abuse and addiction and resources for talking with kids about the impact of drug use on health. National Institute of Drug Abuse
Search for free lessons and activities on the science and consequences of drug use. All lessons are based on national science and education standards and were developed by scientists from leading universities and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Sources of Strength for Middle/High schools is a peer-led, evidence-based, mental health wellness program that utilizes the power of peer social networks to change unhealthy norms and cultures.
The elementary program utilizes a curriculum-based approach and keeps an upstream focus to increase health and wellness and decrease negative downstream outcomes by using active learning, talking circles, guided reflection and celebrating growth.
Learn moreToo Good for Drugs develops a framework of social skills to establish and promote setting reachable goals, making responsible decisions, communicating effectively, identifying, and managing emotions, and bonding with pro-social peers; plus, peer pressure refusal, problem-solving, and media literacy. Students also gain substance prevention education at age-appropriate levels.
(resources from wholesale central)
List of currently open grant competitions – Application packages are available for grant competitions that are currently open. (Latest closing dates are at the top of the list). Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools (U.S. Department of Education)
KDE collaborates with the Kentucky Center for School Safety to provide training … resources and informational links regarding Safe and Drug Free Schools. … current school safety statutes, which took effect on June 25, 2013.
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America works on behalf of over 5,000 community coalitions from across the country to realize its vision and provide resources against drug abuse in youth populations. (CADCA)
Tobacco Information and Prevention Source provides educational materials that help to prevent tobacco use among youth, promote smoking cessation, and protect nonsmokers from environmental tobacco smoke. Visitors can order… (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
What is National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week®? National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week®, or 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 in our own communities and nationwide. (National Institute of Drug Abuse)
National Family Partnership is the sponsor of the National Red Ribbon Week Celebration observed in October each year. They help “citizens across the state come together to keep children, families and communities safe, healthy and drug-free, through parent training, networking and sponsoring the National Red Ribbon Campaign. It is an ideal way for people and communities to unite and take a visible stand against substance abuse. Show your personal commitment to a drug-free lifestyle through the symbol of the Red Ribbon…” (National Family Partnership)
SAMHSA – The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) measures: use of illegal drugs, prescription drugs, alcohol, and tobacco & mental disorders, treatment, and co-occurring substance use and mental disorders. The data provides estimates of substance use and mental illness at the national, state, and sub-state levels.