Although many youths do not partake in drug use, some are more at risk. Most adults with substance use disorders started to do drugs when they were younger, causing their overall health and well-being to decline over the years. Addiction at a young age causes a high risk for adverse outcomes in their life such as injury, criminal justice involvement, school dropout, loss of life, and several different health consequences. “According to the latest survey by SAMHSA, two-thirds of individuals older than 12 reported using alcohol at least once in the prior year.” (The Road to Recovery drugs, alcohol, tobacco, 10/05/2018) To reduce these numbers, we need to start at the root of the problem. Click here to learn more about substance abuse risk factors.
Risk factors for youth high-risk substance use can include:
- Family history of substance use
- Favorable parental attitudes towards the behavior
- Poor parental monitoring
- Parental substance use
- Family rejection of sexual orientation or gender identity
- Association with delinquent or substance using peers
- Lack of school connectedness
- Low academic achievement
- Childhood sexual abuse
- Mental health issues
Red Ribbon Week will take place October 23-31, 2021. What is Red Ribbon Week? Red Ribbon Week is an alcohol, tobacco, and other drug and violence prevention awareness campaign observed annually in October.
We have teamed up with OneEighty, a local organization that provides many services to our community including addiction and substance use disorder services, to bring you tips and information pertinent to Red Ribbon Week!
Learn more about OneEighty by visiting https://www.one-eighty.org/.