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Preventing and Reducing Youth and Young Adult Substance Misuse: Schools, Students, Families

How can schools help to prevent youth and young adult substance misuse and create supportive learning environments?

  • School leaders, teachers, and staff can create safe environments and positive cultures for students.
  • Schools can educate students and families about the dangers of drug use and about how to prevent misuse and addiction.
  • Many evidence-based prevention programs can be delivered in a school setting.
  • Schools can help to mitigate risk factors that can make students vulnerable to engaging in dangerous behavior and also boost protective factors that increase student engagement.
  • Schools can be prepared if a drug poisoning or overdose occurs on school grounds.
  • Schools and school districts can support students in recovery and students whose family members are suffering from addiction.

ED Resources

  • ED hosted a webinar on the impact of digital media, particularly social media, on youth and to understand how counterfeit medications and illicit substances are made available online and shipped directly to people in their homes. (March 2024)
  • ED developed a webinar to discuss data related to substance use among LGBTQ+ students and highlight innovative and inclusive strategies to prevent substance use among students identifying as LGBTQ+. (October 2023)
  • Dr. Miguel Cardona, U.S. Secretary of Education, and Dr. Rahul Gupta, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, recently hosted a virtual discussion to hear examples of how drug prevention programs and practices are being implemented in schools and school districts. Topics addressed during the discussion included- evidence-based primary prevention, access to naloxone, and resources to support schools. (May 2023)
  • ED hosted a webinar to learn from several higher education practitioners about what programs and practices are being done to prevent and address substance use among students transitioning into institutions of higher education. (May 2023)
  • ED developed a webinar to understand more about student marijuana use, its impact on student development and learning, and effective substance use prevention interventions. (March 2023)
  • ED hosted a two-part miniseries on fentanyl. The first webinar focused on what fentanyl is, how students are accessing it, and why it is so addictive and deadly. The second webinar highlighted a variety of approaches schools and communities are taking to educate students on the risks of fentanyl and to prevent and address fentanyl use. (January and February 2023)
  • ED developed a webinar to learn facts about student vaping and explored strategies schools can implement to prevent and reduce vaping among young people. (December 2022)
  • ED collaborated with the Office of National Drug Control Policy on a three-part miniseries to help schools and educators understand and effectively address the connection between substance use, mental health, and student learning. The first webinar focused on what data on youth substance use tells us and how it can inform student support systems. The second webinar highlighted a variety of evidence-based approaches schools and their communities can take to address youth substance use and mental health needs. The third webinar reviewed several funding sources that are available to support schools in implementing evidence-based mental health and substance use prevention programs. (August and September 2022)
  • As we continue to contend with the COVID-19 pandemic, ED hosted a webinar to highlight recent trends in adolescent substance use and strategies for preventing substance use within multi-tiered system of supports. (October 2021)
  • ED collaborated with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration on a webinar to learn more about the role of peer recovery support services in substance use prevention in schools. (April 2021)
  • ED developed a webinar to support schools in planning for and responding to drug-related emergencies, including poisonings and overdoses. (April 2020)
  • ED hosted a three-part miniseries on the opioid crisis. The first webinar looked at how the opioid crisis affected students and families, and the policies and practices that could help address the crisis in schools. The second webinar provided examples of how the opioid crisis was impacting schools and students and highlighted strategies to support students impacted by the crisis. The third webinar spotlighted how institutions of higher education were providing support to students recovering from opioid, alcohol, stimulants, and other drug or substance abuse disorders through collegiate recovery programs. (April 2018 - March 2019)
  • To support infants, toddlers, children, and youth impacted by opioids, review the interventions brief to learn more. (December 2016)

Other Federal Agency Resources


What should students know and do?

  • The social behavior of students affects the success of schools as learning environments.
  • Risk-related behaviors are a barrier to academic gains and healthy lifestyles.
  • Students should know about the dangers of illicit drug use. They should also be supported in developing skills to resist pressure to experiment with and misuse drugs and build healthy lifestyle choices.
  • Students should know when and where to seek help either for their own substance use disorders, or addiction issues, or for dealing with issues arising from misuse, addiction, and overdose by friends or family members.

Other Federal Agency Resources


How can parents and guardians of students help to prevent and reduce youth and young adult substance use and support students to make healthy lifestyle choices?

  • Educated and empowered parents and guardians are the first line of defense in preventing illicit drug use by students.
  • ED partnered with DEA to release a new version of the popular publication, Growing Up Drug-Free: A Parent's Guide to Substance Use Prevention. The Guide includes an overview of substance use among children, youth, and young adults, and includes suggestions for how to talk to young people about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, tailored to their age group, along with tips on what to do if you suspect your child is using alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs. The Guide is available in English and Spanish. (December 2024)

Other Federal Agency Resources

  • Parents and guardians can receive support on how to talk to their families about drugs, their effects, and where to receive help.
  • Parents and guardians can access information on substance abuse prevention initiatives.
  • Parents and guardians can be more informed, prepared, and ready to act through SAMHSA's Talk. They Hear You. campaign to prevent and reduce youth and young adult substance use.
  • Parents and guardians can learn more about specific drugs and help their families make healthy lifestyle choices at Get Smart about Drugs. The DEA's One Pill Can Kill campaign has information and resources to help parents learn more about fake pills.

How does ED assist State and local educational agencies, K-12 schools, and institutions of higher education in preventing and reducing youth and young adult substance use?

  • ED has a long history of promoting substance misuse prevention in schools, through programs, products, and targeted technical assistance.
  • ED's Office of Safe and Supportive Schools administers grant programs and other technical assistance centers that can help State and local education agencies and schools address substance misuse prevention, promote school safety, and create supportive school climates.

ED Resources

  • Joint letter from Secretary Miguel Cardona with Director Rahul Gupta, Office of National Drug Control Policy, on the fentanyl overdose epidemic. (October 2023)
  • The Office of Safe and Supportive Schools (OSSS) is committed to serving States and school communities by providing resources, direct support, and technical assistance on topics that affect the well-being, health and safety of our nation's young people.
  • OSSS funded technical assistance centers
    • The National Center on Safe and Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) offers information and technical assistance to states, districts, schools, institutions of higher learning, and communities focused on improving school climate and conditions for learning.
    • The Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) assists in helping education agencies manage safety, security, and emergency management programs by building the preparedness capacity (including prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts) of schools, school districts, institutions of higher educations, and their community partners at the local, state, and federal levels.
      • REMS developed a fact sheet to assist schools, school districts, and colleges and universities in preventing substance-related issues, especially overdoses, as well as mitigate the effects of a possible overdose through preparing to respond to, and recover from, possible incidents while protecting the school or higher education community.
    • The Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) improves the capacity of state and local educational agencies and schools to establish, scale-up, and sustain the PBIS framework.

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Office of Communications and Outreach (OCO)
Page Last Reviewed:
October 15, 2024