Drug and Alcohol Use Healthy People in Action

ICYMI, you can still view the recording of December's Healthy People Webinar, Substance Misuse Prevention Strategies to Improve Public Health: A Focus on State Practice. During this one-hour event, ODPHP and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics presented on the webinar’s three featured objectives related to substance misuse. Additionally, New York State Department of Health discussed their efforts to address substance misuse through their state health improvement plan.

Space is still available for the next Healthy People 2030 webinar: Substance Misuse Prevention Strategies to Improve Public Health: A Focus on State Practices. This webinar will take place on Wednesday, December 6 from 2:00 to 3:00 pm ET. To register, please visit the Healthy People 2030 Webinar Series Registration page. Continuing Education Credits (CEs) are available.

Youth substance use is associated with increased risk for delinquency; academic underachievement; teen pregnancy; sexually transmitted infections; perpetration of, or experience with, violence; injuries; and mental health problems. Youth, parents, and families are key sectors involved in the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program, the nation’s leading effort to mobilize communities to prevent youth substance use. Preventing or delaying substance use initiation among youth reduces later risk for substance use, substance use disorders, and overdose.  The need for prevention is vital and early intervention is critical for youth.

The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) is pleased to announce its next Healthy People 2030 webinar: Substance Misuse Prevention Strategies to Improve Public Health: A Focus on State Practices. This webinar will take place on Wednesday, December 6 from 2:00 to 3:00 pm ET. To register, please visit the Healthy People 2030 Webinar Series Registration page. Continuing Education Credits (CEs) are available.

Legal and policy approaches can be important tools for achieving healthier communities. Resources from the Healthy People 2020 Law and Health Policy project provide evidence-based information and identify priority areas that can help communities achieve Healthy People objectives and improve health for all.

Legal and policy approaches can be important tools for achieving healthier communities. A new report—The Role of Law and Policy in Reducing Deaths Attributable to Alcohol to Reach Healthy People’s Substance Abuse Goals in the United States—provides evidence-based information and identifies priority areas that can help communities achieve Healthy People objectives.

Access to health care is a key determinant of physical and behavioral health outcomes. Regular access to primary health services is critical for preventing and detecting diseases, ensuring comprehensive treatment, and improving overall quality of life. The Partnership for Successful Living (PSL) in Nashua, New Hampshire takes an integrated approach to health care. Its goal? To provide comprehensive care that’s easy for vulnerable populations to access, with services ranging from primary care, behavioral health, and oral health to housing support and treatment for substance use disorder.

Teen substance use can harm brain development and increase the risk of addiction later in life. Nationally, over 14% of U.S. teens use alcohol or drugs. In Washington State, the 2016 Healthy Youth Survey found that 20% of 10th grade students drink alcohol and 17% use marijuana—and these students report lower grades in school than students who don’t use those substances.