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Substance Use Prevention Month Toolkit
The important work of prevention happens every day. Substance Use Prevention Month is an opportunity celebrate these year-round initiatives and the possibilities prevention brings. Substance Use Prevention Month is held October 1st-31st and can be used as a catalyst for communities coming together to celebrate the ongoing work of prevention happening across the country.
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Toolkit Resources
This Substance Use Prevention Month Toolkit was designed to provide easy to use resources and materials for increasing awareness of substance use prevention in North Dakota.
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To help make Substance Use Prevention Month more effective, try these things:
- Use Substance Use Prevention Month as a foot in the door for more effective, long-term prevention programs and policies as identified in your planning process. Research and data should guide your efforts.
- Focus on the environment. Have students identify areas of their environment where changes can be made and have them offer solutions for change. Make it easy for them to get involved in the process.
- Promote the work you are currently doing and ask for additional support. It will take collaboration and partnerships to change outcomes.
- Promote healthy lifestyles and positive behaviors using data where applicable. Often times, there are misperceptions around substance misuse and support for prevention. It is important when communicating, you dispel these misperceptions especially with youth.
- Don’t limit prevention to just one week out of the year. Making an impact on behaviors and norms takes time and ongoing implementation.
Designing Effective Prevention for Substance Use Prevention Month