National Drug Facts Week 2011

What is National Drug Facts Week (NDFW)?
National Drug Facts Week is a health observance week for teens—an initiative of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The goal of NDFW is to shatter the myths about drugs and drug abuse. It was celebrated from Monday October 31st through Sunday November 6th, 2011.

Who created National Drug Facts Week?
National Drug Facts Week was launched by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health. NIDA scientists want to give teens the opportunity to learn what science has taught us about drug abuse and addiction amid the noise and clutter of drug myths they get from the internet, TV, movies, music, or from friends.

How did NDFW start?
In 2008, NIDA began hosting its annual Drug Facts Chat Day for teens, during which thousands of teens asked questions about drugs via a Web chat. Every year teens ask many more questions than the scientists can answer in a day. In response to this demonstrated interest NIDA developed NDFW, asking teens, schools and community groups all over America to hold their own "Q and A" events with local scientific experts.

What happens on NDFW?
Community-based "question and answer" teen-focused events, nationally televised messages and shows on drug facts, events on the web, and the announcement of the Grammy Foundation MusiCares video music contest winner, are the major happenings during NDFW.

What are NDFW Community-Based Events?
NDFW Community-Based Events are about shattering drug myths and getting the scientific facts about drugs and drug abuse. In Van Buren Community Schools the Youth Leadership Council (YLC) Members held a variety of events, they included:
•Hall of Horrors: This display shows the number of casualties from all of the major wars. Each day new wars are added then at the end of the week the casualties in one year from tobacco, alcohol and other drugs is displayed to show that these numbers are higher than the wars.
•Radio Interview: Two YLC Members promoted National Drug Facts week on KMEM’s Coffee Break radio show.
•Posters/Facts: Posters were hung all around the school with a “Did you know” fact. These facts helped shatter the myths about drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
•Question of the Day: Each day a trivia question was asked during morning announcements. Students had to answer the question in the library to win a prize!
•Teacher Presentations: Various teachers presented lessons in their classroom about the myths and facts of drugs, alcohol and tobacco during this week!
•Live Chat: Students were given the opportunity on Tuesday to chat live with a scientist to ask questions about drugs alcohol and tobacco and get the scientific facts.

Why participate in NDFW?
A third of high school seniors report using an illicit drug sometime in the past year, and more than ten percent report non medical use of a prescription painkiller. These data show that some teens are not aware of the risks of drug abuse. Even for those teens who do not abuse drugs, they may have friends or family who do, and may be looking for ways to help them. NDFW events’ encourage teens to get the scientific facts about drugs so they will make healthy decisions for themselves and share this information with others.

For more information on National Drug Facts Week call 301-443-1124 or visit the Web site http://drugfactsweek.drugabuse.gov. You can also contact the SAFE Coalition at 319-293-6412 or at info@vbsafecoalition.com.