Back to School Toolkit 2024
Tips for creating a happy, healthy, and substance free school year!
Tips for creating a happy, healthy, and substance free school year!
Did you know that youth are more likely to experiment with alcohol and other drugs for the first time during the Summer? Alcohol and drug use among adolescents increases during the Summer months for several reasons including youth having more unsupervised free time and more social events taking place. School’s out for Summer. Keep your kids safe and drug-free. Check out some prevention tips below!
Safe disposal of unneeded medications can help prevent prescription drug misuse, addiction, and ultimately overdose. During the October 2023 Take Back Day, with the help of the DEA Take Back Day events, Americans safely disposed of more than 599,897 pounds of unneeded medications. Let’s try to beat those numbers!
Here are the winners of our 22nd Annual Alcohol Awareness PSA contest “Everything is Awesome When You’re Alcohol Free”, 11 Sussex County schools had winning entries! With over 100 submissions, these entries truly stood out. Thank you to the teachers that had students enter as we appreciate their concern about this topic.
What’s Your Anti-Drug Contest Winners. Majority Rules… Most kids don’t use drugs. Most of us have something in our lives that’s important enough to stand between us and drugs.
Have you ever heard of Adverse Drug Events. ADE are when someone is harmed by a medication.
Opioids are a medication that blocks pain; however, they do not aid in healing. Extremely powerful and highly addictive, opioids are overprescribed and responsible for 75% of US overdose deaths. Dependency can form within 3-5 days of use, even when legally prescribed. Adults ages 55 and older are at increased risk for developing medication dependency from post-surgical care and chronic pain management prescriptions. It is essential to be aware of the dangers of opioid medication use and talk with your doctor about alternative treatment plans.
Red Ribbon Week begins Monday, October 23rd and this year’s theme is “Be Kind To Your Mind. Live Drug Free.” As we prepare for Red Ribbon Week, we are sharing ideas for daily activities, as well as social media posts to utilize within your school community. Remember to send us pictures of what your students are doing for Red Ribbon Week, we will be sending out emails to highlight your activities.
Heading back to school can be stressful. It is important for parents and educators to have resources at their fingertips. The Sussex County Prevention Hub is an initiative of the Coalition for Healthy and Safe Communities, a program of the Center for Prevention and Counseling. Our goals are to support the members of our community by providing a direct link to evidence-based support services, educational programs, and resources for all sectors.