Each October, Substance Use Prevention Month is observed throughout the United States. This awareness campaign in the country sheds light on the need to prevent the start of substance misuse. It is also the time to teach communities, families, and individuals (adults) to make healthy and educated choices. 

What is the Substance Use Prevention Month?

Every October is Substance Use Prevention Month in the United States. It is a nationwide awareness program in which people are advised to embrace the value of substance abuse prevention, especially among adults, and adopt a drug-free, healthy lifestyle.

This agenda is helpful in education, outreach to the community, teaching of the family, and engaging the family in encouraging the negative use of drugs, alcohol, and other addictive substances. It is not only working to prevent drug use- it is interested in the resilience, supportive decisions and healthier and stronger communities.

Why Substance Use Prevention is So Important

The saying of preventing substance use is not just a cliché, but it is a life-or-death thing. The rationale of why it matters is the following one:

Misuse Begins in Adulthood: Statistics of the National Center on Drug Abuse indicate that the majority of people who develop substance use disorders started drug use before they attained the age of 18.

It ends lives: People in prison can be cured during the initial phases of addiction, and can overcome the life-long need, and the fatality in overdose, and improve psychological problems.

It is cost-effective: Prevention programs are a fraction of the cost of treatment or imprisonment.

It improves the general health of the communities: The communities have more productive and safer people and because of this, there is enhanced community health.

The Impact of Substance Use on Society

The consequences of substance use touch upon nearly every aspect of society:

Public Health: Substance use can cause numerous health diseases, which might include liver disease, heart disease, and even mental illness.

Economic Overview: In the U.S., substances cost the economy more than $740 billion per year in healthcare costs, loss of productivity and crime.

Family and Relationships: The trauma associated with substance misuse is also because it breaks marriages and the family unit, it affects the way of parenting that exists and also triggers intergenerational trauma.

Youth Development: The adults who abuse drugs are less likely to complete their studies, engage in mental issues, and become associated with high risks.

All the above sweeping effects imply that prevention is not only an option, it is a must.

How to Recognize the Signs of Substance Use

Early detection of the problem is one of the mightiest preventive tools. Some of the warning signs that one should be on the lookout for include:

• Behavior or mood changes.
• A decrease in school performance or workplace performance.
• Detaching oneself with family members and friends.
• A desire to steal cash or valuable items that cannot be explained.
• Changes of looks or hygiene.
• Being mindful and non-judgmental so that you are better positioned to go to your concerned person to make sure that he/she gets the help s/he needs.

Effective Intervention Measures in the Prevention of Substance Use

Prevention is a matter that has nothing to do with scared compulsion to abstinence; the actual antidote is the ability, literacy and contact. A few very effective prevention strategies are listed:

Desire and Common Sense

Curiosity and experimentation can be reduced through research on drugs and alcohol and by full and age-relevant education on the risk.

Good Family Relationships

Positive family relationships and interaction also assist in avoiding experimentation with risk behavior at an early age.

Good Peer Pressure

It exploits the process of creating health since it practically creates a culture of normalized lifestyles without substances.

Community Engagement

Sports, after-school programs, mentorship, and volunteer work present a purpose to the youth and they can kill time through these activities.

Mental Health Assistance

The use of substances is large because of the presence of mental illnesses like anxiety, depression or trauma. This can be avoided by addressing them early before this kind of self-medication with drugs.

Establishing Expectations

Strict and consistent, loving and supportive are the terms parents and teachers can observe with boundaries.

The Role of Schools in Substance Use Prevention

One of the critical points of struggle in the defense of substance use among the youth is in their schools. Here is how schools contribute to it:

• Implement evidence-based prevention activities (e.g. Too Good for Drugs or Botvin LifeSkills)
• Train teachers and counselors to inspect the omens of danger
• Cultivate friendly, harmless grounds
• Make contact with parents and local health agencies
• Schools may one of the protective factors in the life of a student in case they behave proactively.

What Parents Can Do to Make a Difference

Parents are the front line of defense. Though this may not seem to be the case, relatives of the parents are more concerned about their parents compared to any other third party.

Suggestions to parents are as follows:

Get on the ball: The target is to begin to discuss drugs and alcohol early at 9 or 10.

Speak the truth and lie down: There is no need to be scary, rather, be factual and give real-life examples.

Be a good role model: Actions speak louder than words do.

Have Frequent check-ups: Spend time with their friends, observe what they are up to, or how they feel.

Feel connected: Attend school events, coach an activity or just eat out.

Government and Community Involvement

The best prevention would be when communities are joined. That is the way how organizations and leaders can assist in the recognition of Substance Use Prevention Month:

• Carry out a host awareness campaign and rallies
• Collaborate with local media firms and bring recovery and hope stories
• Grants should be given in the direction of youth-focused prevention programs
• Early progressive training of first responders and educators
• Support a policy that can promote the limiting of access to hazardous materials
• Indeed, when communities and leaders stand up, a real difference is realized when they stand up.

How to Get Involved in Substance Use Prevention Month

Is there something you wish to change? There are a lot of ways to participate this October:

• Organize or join local events, i.,e walks, education seminars or social network campaigns
• Offer volunteer service at a youth service or prevention agency
• Share preemptive suggestions and content through social media
• Donate to nonprofits on the prevent of addiction
• Organize yourself in the role of policy change, either at the local or national level
• Even the most minute things, like a visit to a depressed friend, can make a difference in the long-term sense.

Substance Use Prevention Resources

The following are some useful records/lines and organizations you may call to get information, support, or means of getting involved:

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) – samhsa.gov
• Partnership to End Addiction drugfree.org
• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) nida.nih.gov
• CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) cadca.org

Those involved with these platforms provide toolkits, training and support networks, which empower individuals, families and communities to take action to prevent substance use and misuse.

Prevention Starts with Us

Today, it is October, which is the month of Substance Use Prevention and the first step to recovery! We believe that at DeLand Treatment Solutions, prevention starts with education and response. It is the best time to create some kind of support in case of substance use that you or a loved one is experiencing. Our warm team delivers the evidence-based treatment programs depending on your needs.

Call us at (386) 866-8689 today or visit our website to start your recovery journey. Don’t wait, prevention begins with you.