National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week

The National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW) is a national health observance aimed at revealing the truths about drug and alcohol use to teens. This year, the week is being observed from January 25-31 and the Drugs & Alcohol Chat Day is January 26.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) created a campaign called Shatter the Myths which offers ideas, videos, graphics, toolkits and free materials to use at events in schools and communities. The week highlights evidence from scientists and experts about alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs, synthetic drugs and tobacco.

Here are some statistics from the 2014 Monitoring the Future survey data that you may see during National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week:

• Approximately one-third of high school seniors in the U.S. report using an illicit drug sometime in the past year
• Teens who smoke marijuana can lose IQ points that never return
• Synthetic cannabinoids are second only to marijuana on the list of illicit drugs most used by high school seniors
• One in 12 high school seniors report past-year abuse of Vicodin® and 1 in 20 reported abusing OxyContin®
• Approximately 4 in 10 people who begin drinking alcohol before age 15 eventually become alcoholics
• Approximately 4,300 people under age 21 die each year from injuries caused by underage drinking – more than 35 percent from car accidents

While we help employers create drug-free workplaces, we also support organizations that work to inform and educate people about substance abuse and drug prevention and encourage you to do the same.

For more information about drug testing, visit our website.