SAFE GC Coalition: October is Youth Substance Use Prevention Month

In October, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is observing Youth Substance Use Prevention Month. Studies show that the earlier in life a young person starts using alcohol or other drugs, the greater their lifetime risk of misuse or addiction.

SAMHSA’s Prevention Month:

· Aims to prevent substance use in the first place, prevent the progression of use (to a disorder), and prevent consequences associated with use.

• Prevention science (with decades of research and community-based experience) shows that prevention works.
• Prevention strengthens protective factors and reduces risk factors ― in individuals, families, schools, communities, and society.
• Prevention helps to get ahead of substance use and mental health challenges — so that youth, families, and communities can thrive.

Prevention Month lifts the national conversation — to showcase prevention’s positive effects on communities across the country.

Research shows that the earlier substance use begins, the more likely it will develop into a substance use disorder that is why it is so critical to provide youth with evidence-based prevention education to prevent initial use as well as delay the onset of use.

SAFE, Inc. is the only alcohol and substance abuse prevention, intervention, and education agency in the City of Glen Cove and provides evidence-based Life Skills Training, a prevention education program, to Elementary and Middle School students to teach youth to learn to recognize and counter misconceptions about drugs, and how to resist peer and media pressure to use alcohol, tobacco, and other substances.

Its Coalition is concerned about youth substance use and their developing brain. The Coalition is conducting several prevention awareness campaigns entitled. “Keeping Glen Cove SAFE,” to educate and update the community regarding alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and opioid use and its negative consequences to one’s health and wellness. To learn more about SAFE please visit www.safeglencove.org or to learn more about the SAFE Glen Cove Coalition please follow us on www.facebook.com/safeglencovecoalition.