Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration

Resources are available on each theme of National Prevention Week, and links to many resources are provided below. You can also view SAMHSA publications on each National Prevention Week theme [PDF | 180KB]. Visit the SAMHSA Store to order these and other publications.

Prevention and Cessation of Tobacco Use

• BeTobaccoFree.HHS.gov - Provides user-friendly information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) about tobacco products and the health effects of tobacco use, as well as resources for quitting and tobacco use prevention.
• The SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions - Offers information and resources about tobacco use and cessation for providers, state organizations, and consumers.
• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - Provides a variety of fact sheets on tobacco use and cessation.
• Tips for Teens - The Truth About Tobacco [PDF | 453KB] - Summarizes facts about tobacco use and its consequences and lists signs that a friend may be using tobacco.
• Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults [PDF | 17.6MB] - A report from the Surgeon General containing detailed information and data about youth tobacco use and prevention strategies.
• The HHS Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) - Summarizes risk and protective factors that contribute to teen tobacco use. Guidance about how to talk to teens about not smoking is also available.
• The Smoking Cessation Leadership Center - Offers webinars, technical assistance, and resources to promote smoking cessation.
• Break the Chain - An educational campaign to help tobacco retailers comply with FDA regulations.

Prevention of Underage Drinking

• "Talk. They Hear You." Underage Drinking Prevention PSA Campaign – A national public awareness campaign created by SAMHSA that helps parents and caregivers start talking to their children early—as early as nine years old—about the dangers of alcohol. The campaign Web page provides resources and materials to help parents initiate these important conversations.
• Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention for Youth: A Practitioner's Guide [PDF | 11MB] - A guide provided by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) that serves as a tool for identifying youth at risk for alcohol-related problems.
• Too Smart To Start - A website that helps youth, families, educators and communities prevent underage alcohol use and its related problems.
• UnderageDrinking.SAMHSA.gov - A public education website supported by the Surgeon General's Call to Action on underage drinking that communicates to parents how they can help reduce their child's risk of becoming involved with alcohol.
• The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking [PDF | 1.41MB] - A resource from HHS that provides information on underage drinking.
• Safe Schools, Healthy Students - An initiative of HHS, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Justice, designed to prevent violence and substance abuse among our nation’s youth, schools and communities.
• Stop Underage Drinking - A collaboration among SAMHSA and other federal agencies, this website provides a wealth of information on underage drinking, such as data and statistics; resources for parents, youth, educators, community organizations and businesses; and more.

Prevention of Prescription Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Use

• SAMHSA's Treatment Locator - A searchable directory of drug and alcohol treatment programs. The Treatment Locator shows the location of facilities around the country that treat drug abuse and alcohol problems.
• "Above the Influence" campaign - A resource from The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the campaign website provides materials and information directed toward teens.
• Prescription for Disaster: How Teens Abuse Medicine – A guide from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to help readers understand and identify medications that teens abuse.
• Growing Up Drug Free: A Parent's Guide to Prevention – A booklet developed by the DEA to inform parents about how to raise a drug free child. Topics include substances children are exposed to, how they're used, their effects, where children obtain them, and how to know if a child is using them; which children are most at risk for using drugs and how to prevent drug use; how to talk to children about drugs and alcohol; and steps to take if you suspect your child may already be using drugs or alcohol.
• NIDA for Teens - A resource from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) that offers facts for teens about prescription drug abuse and illicit drug use. NIDA InfoFacts also provides updated information on the health effects of specific drugs, including club drugs and herbal mixtures.
• Ignoring Instructions: The Importance of Using Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medications Properly - SAMHSA's Road to Recovery Webcast gives an overview of prescription drug abuse and discusses people who are at risk.

Prevention of Alcohol Abuse

• The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) - An institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that provides leadership in the national effort to reduce alcohol-related problems.
• The Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies (CAPT) - A SAMHSA initiative that works to develop and improve the skills, knowledge, and expertise of the prevention workforce.
• The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Center for Excellence - A SAMHSA-led initiative devoted to preventing and treating Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). It provides information and resources about FASD and materials to help raise awareness about this issue.
• Al-Anon/Alateen Family Groups - A support group for families and friends of people with alcohol problems.
• The National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Prevention Task Force on College Drinking - Offers research and information on college drinking (also available by calling 301-443-3860).
• Alcoholics Anonymous - A program that provides support for people with alcohol problems, with information and a list of support groups.

Suicide Prevention

• The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - A website that provides a downloadable wallet card with the Lifeline phone number and suicide warning signs in English and Spanish, as well as other materials for coping and caring for loved ones. The toll-free Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK [8255]) offers confidential help 24 hours a day to individuals considering suicide and their friends and family.
• StopBullying.gov - A website that provides information from various government agencies on what bullying is, what cyberbullying is, who is at risk, and how to prevent and respond to bullying.
• SAMHSA's Mental Health Services Locator - A resource to help people find mental health services and resources in their communities.
• National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention - A public-private collaboration SAMHSA has developed to help promote suicide prevention.
• The Trevor Project - An organization that promotes acceptance of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and questioning teens and helps to prevent suicide among those youth. The Trevor Helpline, which can be reached at 1-866-488-7386, is a 24-hour toll-free suicide helpline for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and questioning youth.
• The Suicide Prevention Resource Center - A resource that provides access to the science and experience that can support efforts to develop programs, implement interventions, and promote policies to prevent suicide. Resources include information on school-based prevention programs, a best practices registry, state information and more.

Promotion of Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Well-Being

• Children's Mental Health Awareness Day 2013 - A national observance that seeks to raise awareness about the importance of children's mental health and that positive mental health is essential to a child's healthy development from birth. In 2013, Awareness Day will be held on Thursday, May 9.
• Preventing Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders Among Young People: Progress and Possibilities - A resource by the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine that analyzes prevention practices that have emerged in a variety of settings, including programs for selected at-risk populations (such as children and youth in the child welfare system), school-based interventions, interventions in primary care settings, and community services designed to address a broad array of mental health needs and populations. This resource focuses special attention on the research base and program experience with younger populations.
• SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP) - A searchable online registry of more than 250 interventions supporting mental health promotion, substance abuse prevention, and mental health and substance abuse treatment.
• SAMHSA’s Resource Center to Promote Acceptance, Dignity and Social Inclusion Associated with Mental Health (ADS Center) - A center that enhances acceptance and social inclusion by ensuring that people with mental health problems can live full, productive lives within communities without fear of prejudice and discrimination. The ADS Center provides information and assistance to develop successful efforts to counteract prejudice and discrimination and promote social inclusion.
• The Partnership for Workplace Mental Health - An organization that collaborates with employers and maintains a database of successful innovations and strategies.
• SAMHSA's Mental Health Services Locator - A resource that can help people find mental health services and resources in their communities.