National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week® 2020 (NDAFW)

The Van Buren County Youth Leadership Council (YLC) would like to encourage everyone to participate in NDAFW 2020.  NDAFW is an annual health observance week that connects teens with resources to SHATTER THE MYTHS® about drugs and alcohol.  You can still participate in NDAFW with schools and organizations closed or operating remotely!  In lieu of in-person events and activities, NIDA encourages virtual participation. There are countless activities that teens, parents, caregivers, and teachers can do that don’t involve leaving the house. Here’s a list of our favorites: 

·         Playing the new Kahoot! Games with an online class or encouraging students to play the games

individually at home. 

·         Taking the National Drug & Alcohol IQ Challenge. Test students’ knowledge about drugs and alcohol with this short, interactive quiz available in English and Spanish that can be used on mobile devices. More than 200,000 people took the IQ Challenge last year.

·         Join NDAFW by sharing why you want to SHATTER THE MYTHS® (Learn more here: https://teens.drugabuse.gov/national-drug-alcohol-facts-week/get-activity-ideas/i-want-shatter-myths-because)

Sharing the facts on social media. Tweet, snap, or post. Social media platforms can be powerful tools to SHATTER THE MYTHS® about drugs and alcohol. Use the new “Not everyone’s doing it” social media cards and hand-held placards.

·         Participating in the Drug Facts Challenge!, an interactive game using scientific facts about the brain and addiction, marijuana, vaping, and more.  

·         Join the NDAFW Tweetstorm on Monday, March 30 from 3 to 4 p.m. ET. Help us get #NDAFW to trend on Twitter by sharing messages about drugs and alcohol during the planned hour.

·         On Friday, April 3, at 3 p.m. EDT, NIDA will host a Twitter Trivia Challenge in collaboration with Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). Anyone can test their knowledge by following the hashtag #NDAFW and answering multiple-choice questions about drugs and alcohol.

·         Taking advantage of the free, science-based resources to use in classrooms and communities, or at home. These include toolkits and activity ideas on various topics; science- and standards-based classroom lessons and multimedia activities on teens and drugs; and the recently updated Mind Matters series, which helps teachers explain to students the effects of various drugs on the brain and body.

·         NIDA Toolkit for Out of School Time. This toolkit offers science-based activities and resources on drug use and addiction for educating teens during out of school time (OST). The OST setting—before and after school, in the summer, or any time teens attend a supervised program outside of the typical school time—offers a unique opportunity for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) learning.

To learn more about YLC or NDAFW please contact the SAFE Coalition at 319-293-3334 ext. 1017 or at safe.coalition@van-burencsd.org