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It’s National Prevention Week!
National Prevention Week was created by and is coordinated by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as an annual health observance dedicated to increasing public awareness of and action around mental health and substance abuse disorders. Its goals include involving communities to help implement evidence-based prevention efforts; fostering partnerships and collaborations; and promoting and sharing quality substance use prevention and mental health promotion resources. For more on SAMHSA, go to: https://www.samhsa.gov/
Timed to coincide just a few weeks before many schools dismiss classes for the summer, National Prevention Week is in the wings across the country -- and in Tuolumne County.
National studies show that adolescents and college students most often use substances for the first time in June or July, a key time of social transition that also presents itself as a known risk factor for adolescent and college-age students.
It is a key reason to focus -- just before the end of the school year -- on developing a greater awareness of everyday community prevention efforts going on year round as well taking the opportunity to participate in related National Prevention Week themes and activities that aim to develop and help strengthen community, school and family bonds protecting local youth.
This year's National Prevention week runs Monday May 10 through Friday May 14. Along with activities that might be happening across local schools, the YES Partnership hopes youth and their families will avail themselves of the opportunity to develop more knowledge and tools that can help strengthen community prevention efforts. This year's themes (listed below) include a key related finding based on national data collected and analyzed before the Covid pandemic.
Monday, May 10, Preventing Prescription and Opioid Misuse. More than half (51.3 percent) of people aged 12 or older who misused pain relievers in the past year obtained them from a friend or relative -- proving that "sharing is not caring." Prescription take-back days are regularly scheduled in Tuolumne County and there is a 24/7 drop-box in the Sheriff's Office Lobby (North 28 Sunset Dr., Sonora). See the attached Sharing is Not Caring data visualization.
Tuesday, May 11, Preventing Underage Drinking and Alcohol Misuse. While the rates of new youth alcohol users were on the decline since 2010 prior to Covid, more than half of underage youth and young adults who use alcohol are binge drinking. (Binge drinking is considered more than five alcoholic drinks on the same occasion for a male; more than four for a female.) For more on youth alcohol abuse prevention: https://www.yespartnership.net/alcohol-abuse-prevention-facts. See the attached Bringing Down Binge Drinking data visualization.
Wednesday, May 12, Preventing Illicit Drug Use and Youth Marijuana Use. Among people aged 12-25, frequent marijuana use is often associated with: opioid misuse, heavy alcohol use, and major depressive episode; Marijuana is known to adversely impact the developing brains of youth, teens and young adults. For more related information: https://www.yespartnership.net/cannabis-edu. See the attached Exposing Marijuana’s Hidden Dangers data visualization.
Thursday, May 13, Preventing Youth Tobacco Use, including E-Cigarettes and Vaping. Latest figures indicated in 2019 one in five high school students and one in 20 middle school students were using e-cigarettes and that it is the most prevalently used product containing nicotine, a known highly addictive substance. Vaping use is now considered an epidemic among students. For more prevention information: https://www.yespartnership.net/tobacco-abuse-prevention-facts. See the attached Preventing Youth Exposure to E-Cigarettes data visualization.
Friday, May 14, Preventing Suicide. According to 2017 data, 10.7 adults 18 and older seriously contemplated suicide over the past year; 3.3 million made suicide plans; 1.4 million attempted suicide. See the attached Stemming the Tide of Suicide in America data visualization.
There will a virtual Youth Mental Health First Aid training on Tuesday, May 18th from 8:30-3:00. See the attached flyer for more information and instructions on how to register for the training.
Please share this information with anyone you think may be interested.
- Your friends at the YES Partnership