You can help make opioid prevention resources available to more families, schools, and communities! Sharing accurate, evidence-informed information about opioids and addiction is an important step toward raising awareness, reducing stigma, and preventing substance use among young people. The Addiction Policy Forum's Opioid Prevention Campaign Partner Toolkit is designed to make it easy for organizations, educators, prevention professionals, and community partners to share cam

Knowing how to say no to alcohol and other drugs is an important skill that can help teens navigate peer pressure and make healthy decisions. Practicing refusal skills can help young people feel more confident and prepared when faced with situations involving substance use. The Addiction Policy Forum developed the How to Practice Refusal Skills infographic to provide parents, caregivers, and educators with practical strategies to help teens respond to offers of alcohol and

Adolescence is a critical period of brain development, making young people particularly vulnerable to the effects of opioids. Understanding the risks of opioid misuse is an important step toward preventing addiction and protecting the health and well-being of teens. Opioid use can cause changes in areas of the brain responsible for decision-making, self-control, and the reward system. While teen opioid misuse has declined over time, it remains an important public health conc

Opioids can pose serious risks to young people, making education and early prevention more important than ever. Providing teens with accurate, age-appropriate information about opioids and their potential dangers can help them make informed decisions and protect their health. The Addiction Policy Forum developed Teens and Opioids, a video explainer designed to raise awareness about opioids and the importance of preventing substance use among young people. Parents, educators,

Teachers play an important role in preventing youth substance use and addiction. Beyond educating students, teachers help shape supportive environments, build meaningful relationships, and equip young people with the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy decisions. Schools are an important setting for prevention. By fostering connections, encouraging healthy coping skills, recognizing potential warning signs, and providing accurate information about substance use, ed

Prevention starts at home. Parents and caregivers play an important role in preventing substance use and supporting healthy development. In this video explainer, Addiction Policy Forum shares 12 practical, evidence-informed strategies parents can use to help protect their children, build resilience, encourage healthy coping skills, and reduce the risk of addiction. Explore simple, actionable steps you can incorporate into everyday family life to support your child’s health an

A study published in JAMA Network Open examined pharmacy barriers faced by patients prescribed buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) through telemedicine. The findings show that pharmacy-related challenges were common, with nearly one-third of study participants (31.9%) reporting going without buprenorphine at some point in the prior 12 months due to pharmacy-related barriers. Researchers surveyed 601 adults who were receiving treatment from a multistate telemedi

A randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Network Open found that incorporating online group mindfulness sessions into buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) significantly reduced opioid cravings compared to treatment as usual. The study, led by Dr. Zev Schuman-Olivier and colleagues from Cambridge Health Alliance and Harvard Medical School, examined the effectiveness of a 24-week virtual mindfulness-based program compared to a standard recovery support gr

A new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) on Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) provides a detailed snapshot of substance use disorder treatment services across the United States. Findings are drawn from nearly 1.5 million treatment admissions and 1.4 million discharges reported in 2022 and show that 35.5% of admissions were for alcohol use, 16.9% were for heroin use, 13.9% were for methamphetamine use, 11.7% were for other opia

The Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced updated guidelines that expand the incentive cap for...

CDC data shows a 10% drop in overdose deaths this year.

As the opioid crisis continues to devastate communities across the United States, claiming thousands of lives each year, the HEALing...

Effective treatments for substance use disorder (SUD) can substantially improve patient outcomes. First-line medications like...

Data dashboards are powerful tools that can support community engagement and decision-making by providing public health surveillance and...

In the United States, at least one infant is born with Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS) every 24 minutes. Opioid-exposed...

Peer distribution of naloxone and education on its use enhances partnerships between medical researchers, law enforcement, public health...

In Hamilton County, Ohio, 76% of the people who overdosed in 2021 had a history of incarceration at the Hamilton County Justice Center...

There has been a substantial increase in the number of jails and prisons offering medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD; namely,...

This webinar, held by Addiction Policy Forum, discussed recent data on the impact of fentanyl on communities across the country, and new...

Findings from the Eating, Sleeping and Consoling for Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal study show a new care approach that is more effective