Plan Your Event

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• Include a mix of adult and teen organizers.
  
  • Adults should have an interest in educating teens about healthy living, including drug use prevention. Teens have credibility with their peers and play an important role in making sure the messages and activities will speak to other teens.
• Involve your community.
  
  • Consider partnering with local schools, businesses, and organizations to strengthen your event. They may help to share in the planning associated with the event or offer speakers who share motivational or personal stories.

Please note: Only adults age 18 or older can register NDAFW events.

• Choose Your Topic. Your NDAFW event can focus on a specific substance or address substance use in general. NIDA has several promotional activities that are specific to the following themes: 
  
  • Specific drugs, such as alcohol, marijuana, MDMA, opioids and other prescription drugs, tobacco, nicotine, & vaping (e-cigarettes), new psychoactive substances (synthetics).
  • Specific populations, such as college-aged and young adults and teens in the juvenile justice system.
  • Specific topics, such as supporting mental and emotional health and accessing valid and reliable health information. 
• Choose a Location. The type of event you host may determine the location. An NDAFW event or activity can be hosted any place in your community where teens are, such as:
  
  • Schools, afterschool programs, community/recreation centers, or places of worship.
  • Donated space from theaters or other privately held meeting spaces.
  • Space available through your state or local health department.
  • Social media.
  • Virtual activities can be held at home.
• Get permission to hold the event. 
  
  • School events. Check with the principal and any other administrator well in advance of the event.
  • Local community events. Be sure to check with the location’s leadership and see if there are permission forms or other requirements you need to complete. Be sure to ask who your point of contact is to make sure everything runs smoothly.
• Determine what type of activities will work best for your space and your audience. Work with your team to create an event that works best for your school or community.
  
  • Use the NIDA Scientist Virtual Q&A Videos: Teacher’s Guide.
  • Select from NIDA’s list of great activities.
• Include the Privacy and Confidentiality for Event Attendees Statement.
  
  • Include and read aloud the privacy and confidentiality statement on privacy ground rules at the start of your event.

EVENT TIP: Have a plan in place for appropriate intervention if a teen reveals a potentially harmful personal situation.

By registering, you get the following benefits:

• Your event added to NIDA’s Event Map.
• Connection with NIDA staff, who can offer advice and answer questions.
• Free materials from NIDA sent to you in time for your NDAFW event. To ensure materials arrive in time for NDAFW, please order no later than 2 weeks prior to your event or activity.
• Increased exposure for your group because you are linked to a national project.
• An ongoing relationship with NIDA, a component of the National Institutes of Health.

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Drug use is an evolving field. Take some time to brush up on your knowledge of drugs and their effects before your event. Here are a few of NIDA’s resources to get you started, or explore the NIDA website.

• National Drugs & Alcohol IQ Challenge Kahoot!
  Test their knowledge! NIDA created an interactive quiz that challenges what students know about drugs and drug use.
• Commonly Used Drugs. Learn how using drugs, even just once, can affect your body and your mind.
• Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction. Learn the science of drug use and addiction.
• Marijuana Drug Facts. Read the latest, including its health risks and potential medical uses.
• What You Need To Know About Prescription Stimulants. Learn about prescription stimulants and the health risks of misusing them.
• How Nicotine Affects the Teen Brain. Learn how nicotine is not only highly addictive but also can cause lasting effects on your brain.

EVENT TIP: See our NIDA Scientist Virtual Q&A Videos: Teacher’s Guide for recommendations on how to engage teens and encourage them to learn more.

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The Promote and Enhance Your Event section has everything you need to reach the widest possible audience. 

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National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week® (NDAFW), an annual health observance week, connects youth with resources to SHATTER THE MYTHS® about drugs, alcohol, and related health topics. 

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: 

• Craft #MyWhyNDAFW Videos. Share your unique voice in the conversation around drug use prevention and positive mental health.
• Explore the Nurturing My Mental & Emotional Health and Stressed Out activities to help students find strategies to cope with stress and support their mental health.
• Play this new kahoot to help youth understand how acute stress affects their bodies, how it differs from the more dangerous constant (or chronic) stress, and learn strategies to support their mental and emotional health.
• Share the Is This Legit? Accessing Valid and Reliable Health Information activity to help students in grades 9 through 12 learn to access valid and reliable health information.
• Start a conversation using answers to teens’ 10 frequently asked questions about drugs and health.
• View videos and explore the activities and discussion questions in the NIDA Scientist Virtual Q&A Videos: Teacher’s Guide.
  • What Is Addiction? (1:34)
  • What Is the Worst Drug? (2:22)
  • Can Using Drugs Help Me Deal With Anxiety and Depression? (1:22)
  • What Happens When Drugs Are Combined? (2:28)
  • Why Do You Study Addiction Science? (3:11)
• Take the National Drug & Alcohol IQ Challenge. Test students’ knowledge about drugs and alcohol with this short, interactive quiz. Take the Kahoot! quiz with a class or encourage youth to play individually.
• Share why you adopt healthy behaviors for mind and body using this #MyWhyNDAFW sign. 
• Use free, science-based resources in classrooms and communities, or at home. These include activity ideas (below) 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. See Teacher’s Guide for NIDA Resources.