Help Teens Make Healthy Choices – NIDA Toolkit for Counselors and Educators
Educate, Empower, & Identify
What’s in the Toolkit?
This science-based NIDA toolkit provides facts about drugs and their effects for teachers, counselors, nurses, parent- and youth-serving organizations, and anyone with opportunities to educate teens. The science-based information and resources are designed to empower teens with the information they need to make informed decisions about their health.
How To Use the Toolkit
These resources can be used independently or as a comprehensive package. Please feel free to customize them to suit your own drug education activities. If you have any questions or would like to share your experience using any of the following strategies, please contact us.
Shatter myths and give teens the facts about drugs and their effects on teens’ brains, bodies, and lives.
Engage teens in conversations about potential consequences of risky behavior with activities and videos to equip them with the tools they need for critical thinking and decision-making about drug use.
For school health professionals: identify teens who may be at risk for substance misuse through NIDA’s evidenced-based tools, and find referrals to those in need.
Educate
The Facts
Shatter myths and empower teens with facts about drugs and their effects on teens’ brains, bodies, and lives.
Drug Facts for Teens
Provides comprehensive information on commonly used drugs—what they are and how they affect the brain, body, and behavior of teens.
Uses:
Have teens read the information online, or print copies of specific drugs for distributing to teens for discussion and reflection.
Drugs: What They Are
Gives brief descriptions of more than 15 different types of drugs—what they are and how to recognize them.
Uses:
Make copies readily available and hand them out during drug use prevention classes, activities, or events.
Drugs: How They Affect the Brain
Briefly describes how more than 15 different types of drugs affect the teen brain.
Uses:
Encourage teens to review the facts, and hand them out during after-school club meetings and sporting practices, or during evening all-school events.
Additional Resources
- Lesson Plan and Activity Finder. More than 90 drug-related lessons and classroom activities.
- Commonly Abused Drugs Chart. At-a-glance information about health effects and treatment.
- This Is NIDA: Opioids (Video 1:02). An overview from NIDA on the topic of opioids.
- NIDA Drug Facts. Detailed facts on drugs and addiction for any audience.
Empower
Teen Behavior
Engage teens in conversations about drug use, peer pressure, and decision-making with activities and videos to help them truly understand the potential consequences of risky behavior.
Drugs: Shatter the Myths (Video 3:45)
Answers teens most frequently asked questions about drugs and their misuse with scientific facts and engaging images.
Uses:
Share the video during an assembly to start a conversation, or hand out print copies of the brochure to teens (order free copies).
Teen Discussion on Drug Abuse and Addiction With Dr. Volkow (Video 9:43)
Presents a frank discussion between NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow and teens about drugs, drug use, and addiction.
Uses:
Share the video at an after-school club meeting or during a moving night/town hall style event.
Prescription Drug Poster
Raises awareness of the health consequences of improper use of prescription drugs. Contrasts it with the benefits of safe and proper prescription drug use.
Uses:
Hang the poster in hallways, offices, or anywhere teens gather, and print the flyer to distribute at events (order free copies).
Additional Resources
- NIDA Drugs and Health Blog. A blog about teens, drug use, and real life.
- NIDA’s IQ Drug Challenge. Teens take the quiz. Scientists answer the questions.
- Lessons and Class Activities—Peer Pressure and Decision-Making. Drug education-related classroom activities from NIDA, Scholastic, and more.
- National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week®: Get Activity Ideas & Toolkits. Several toolkits that are specific to themes such as Alcohol and Opioids & Other Prescription Drugs.
Identify
Screening Tools for Adolescents
School health professionals can identify teens who may be at risk for substance misuse through NIDA’s evidenced-based tools, and find referrals to those in need.
Screening Tools for Adolescents
Two brief online screening tools can help health care professionals assess for substance use disorders (SUDs) among adolescents 12-17 years old. The BSTAD identifies risky substance use in a specific adolescent; the S2BI identifies the level of risk for each individual.
Uses:
Work with your school-based and/or non-school based health professionals to have your adolescent take the screener. Follow up with resources to encourage behavior change and treatment referrals.
Engage Parents/Guardians
Provides resources to give to parents and guardians to help them engage with their teens about risky behaviors.
Uses:
Share with the parent/guardian the resources you provide the teen. Encourage them to visit NIDA for Parents.
Behavioral Health Services Treatment Locator
Provides contact information for local physicians or treatment programs specializing in addiction and adolescents.
Uses:
On your own or with the parent/guardian, look up treatment facilities in the teen’s area.
Additional Resources
- What To Do if Your Teen or Young Adult Has a Problem With Drugs. A step-by-step guide designed for parents, but useful for anyone supporting youth.
- What To Do if Your Adult Friend or Loved One Has a Problem With Drugs. A step-by-step guide to help teens who have an adult in their life with a drug problem.
- NIDA Quick Screen. A quick screener for drug use among adults. (This screener has NOT been validated with adolescents.)
