Alcohol Awareness and Re-thinking Drinking
28th April 2015
In honor of Alcohol Awareness month, we have added some links on the COACT Colorado website related to substance abuse prevention and treatment. Parents and trusted adults play an important role in influencing a teenager’s decision whether or not to engage in under-age drinking, and a family’s support system can help prevent problems related to substance use for every family member. See the video above “A ReThink of the Way We Drink” to learn more about how alcohol use influences health and social/emotional wellness, and see the links below for more information.
Speak Now Colorado - Speak Now is an effort of the Colorado Department of Human Services, Office of Behavioral Health focused on providing evidence-based information and resources to parents and caregivers regarding youth substance abuse prevention in Colorado.
Linking Care is a Colorado referral resource that provides statewide access to information and services for prevention, treatment and recovery from substance use and mental health conditions.
Partnership for Drug-free Kids - WHERE FAMILIES FIND ANSWERS – “We reduce substance abuse among adolescents by supporting families and engaging with teens.”
The Search Institute– The mission of The Search Institute is “to provide catalytic leadership, breakthrough knowledge, and innovative resources to advance the health of children, youth, families, and communities.” They provide surveys, speakers, training materials, podcasts, and other educational resources to parents, teachers, librarians, and teens.
Resources for Youth:
Above the Influence! – Above the Influence is a national organization, run through the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, a program of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Their goal is to empower teens to resist poor influences and bad decisions. The site has lots of user-generated videos and other content and is very good at speaking to teens with respect in their own vocabulary.
NIDA for Teens - The science behind drug use – This is a website of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and is focused on providing information about drugs and neuroscience. The site is colorful and engaging, with videos, free downloadable T-shirt transfers and other fun stuff.
Rise Above Colorado is a drug abuse prevention organization that measurably impacts teen perceptions and attitudes about the risks of substance abuse to help youth make empowered, healthy choices.