Substance Use | Drugs

New York State (NYS)Resources

NYS Police

NYS Troopers offer professional development in Drug Impairment Training for Educational Professionals (DITEP) or similar training ranging from one-hour to 2 eight-hour training days depending on the type of training desired. Contact your regional Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) coordinator to inquire whether school-specific training is available in your area. DRE Regional Coordinators contact information.

NYS Department of Health (NYSDOH)

NYSDOH Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement
Addiction and Substance Use Disorder Educational Resource

To address the increase in substance use disorders, the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, and the Education Department have created the New York State Addiction and Substance Use Disorder Educational Resource flash drive. The flash drive will be offered at no charge to New York State schools as a guide for personal conversations and community forums to help prevent and address substance use among young people.

NYSDOH Report, High School Youth Tobacco Use Continues to Decline in 2024, One in Six Youth Still Use Tobacco
In 2024, data from the New York Youth Tobacco Survey (NY-YTS) declared the lowest of tobacco product use since 2000 at 17%, a 29% decline from 2022. The data shows that youth tobacco use has reached its lowest level ever recorded in New York State.

NYS Office of Addiction Services And Supports (OASAS) Resources

Cannabis Toolkit
Cannabis Toolkit for parents and mentors, designed to offer resources and information about cannabis and how to talk to young people about the risks of underage cannabis use and the impact it can have. This free toolkit is available in both English and Spanish on the OASAS website.

High School Substance Use Dashboard
Explore high school substance use trends from 2003 to 2021 using this interactive dashboard from OASAS. The data are from the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), a set of surveys that tracks health-related behaviors in students in grades 9 through 12.

OASAS Harm Reduction Saves Lives
Provides links to resources for school districts, educators, and the community, including Education Law §3038

Important Information for School Nurses: Non-Medical Use of Prescription Drugs by Young People
Resources school nurses and teachers can use to educate themselves, students, and parents about prescription drug abuse.

OASAS Prevention: Educators and School Staff
Information and resources regarding addiction prevention, including screening, training, curriculum, evidence-based programming, and school policy recommendations.

OASAS/NYSDOH Drug Prevention Resources Order Form
Utilize this form to order free posters and pamphlets for parents.

NYS Office of Cannabis Management

Cannabis Education Library
Webpage offering a library of free educational materials created to inform different audiences including educators, healthcare providers, and parents about cannabis consumption and safety. It also includes the "Cannabis Honestly" campaign which provides clear, practical education for young people and the adults who support them. It aims to help families understand the facts, have informed conversations, and make decisions that support their health and well-being, the by cutting through misinformation and providing practical tools.

CDC Resources

NY ORS Learning Session: Addiction and Recovery - Reflections and Insights with Dr. Stephen Loyd
The NYS Overdose Response Strategy (ORS)Team presents this learning session, featuring Dr. Stephen Loyd, Chief Medical Officer for Cedar Recovery in Tennessee and real-life inspiration behind Michael Keaton's character in Hulu's Emmy Award-winning series "Dopesick."

Drug Overdose
Provides statistics and resources for prevention education.

Prescription Drug Overdose- Data Resources
Access the CDC's interactive data dashboards and visualizations, including U.S. dispensing rate maps, fatal overdose data, and nonfatal overdose data.

National Center for Safe and Supportive Learning Environments Resources

Substance Abuse
Tips for Teens resources on many different substances, informative data, webinars, trainings, and much more.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Resources

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Science-based information on drug abuse and addiction for health professionals, parents, teachers, students, and researchers.

Drug Facts
Provides plain and simple facts about drugs and addiction on over 30 drugs of abuse.

Prescription Drugs
Includes information and resources for educators about the use/misuse of prescription drugs.

Teachers: Classroom Resources on Drug Effects

NIDA for Teens
The trusted source for science-based information on teen drug use and its effects.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Resources

2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) Released July 2025
Conducted annually, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) provides nationally representative data on the use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs; substance use disorders; mental health conditions; suicidal thoughts and behavior; and receipt of substance use and mental health treatment in individuals aged 12 and older. It includes 2024 Highlights, Companion Infographic Reports, and Detailed Tables.

Interactive Presentation for Evidence-Based Strategies for Youth Vaping Prevention
This interactive presentation offers strategies to enhance the reach and impact of anti-vaping campaigns geared toward youth and young adults.

Key Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators in the U.S.: Results from the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health
Summarizes key findings on substance use and mental health among people aged 12 years or older in the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the United States.

Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit
Provides information to develop practices and policies to help prevent opioid-related overdoses and deaths.

Talk, They Hear
Underage drinking prevention campaign helps parents and caregivers start talking to their children early about the dangers of alcohol.

Substance Use Prevention Resources for Youth and College Students
Free downloadable publications and tip sheets as well as mobile apps for youth, teens, and young adults on topics such as substance misuse, common mental health conditions, and coping with disasters and other traumatic events.

Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) - Network Watch
This Network Watch presents drug street names that appeared in the DAWN data for the first time from January 2023 to August 2024.

Methamphetamine Awareness Day
National Methamphetamine Awareness Day is November 30. Learn more about methamphetamine, such as what it is, what "overamping" is, the effects of combining methamphetamines with other drugs, and where to get help.

U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

Carfentanil: A Synthetic Opioid Unlike Any Other
A DEA Factsheet about Carfentanil, a deadly drug that resembles fentanyl and cocaine. Its danger far exceeds that of nearly any other opioid on the street.

Drugs of Abuse- A DEA Resource Guide-2024 Edition
A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) guide designed to be a reliable resource on the most commonly used and misused drugs in the United States.

What is Pink Cocaine? United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
The DEA article provides information about Pink Cocaine, including what it is, what its effects are, why it is pink, and why it is dangerous.

Other Resources

Ask Listen Learn - Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility
Provides a series of lesson plans on the developing brain that teaches kids, ages 9-13 about the effect of alcohol and cannabis. This is a completely free digital underage drinking prevention program for kids ages 9-13 (grades 4-8) and their parents and educators with the goal to reduce underage drinking.

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids-Nicotine Pouches
Nicotine pouches are one of the latest products the tobacco industry is using to attract new users and keep people, especially young people, addicted to tobacco products. Available in dozens of flavors, nicotine pouches are the latest addition to Big Tobacco's portfolio of products marketed to young people.

Community Health Access to Addiction and Mental Healthcare Project (CHAMP)
The program helps individuals, families, and health care providers to understand legal rights to their insurance, access treatment and services, and investigate and resolve complaints regarding any denials of health insurance coverage through the CHAMP Helpline (888-614-5400).

Combating the Opioid Crisis and Other Substance Misuse: Schools, Students, Families U.S. Department of Education

Everything You Should Know About Whippets and Galaxy Gas - Cleveland Clinic
Popular among teens, these inhalants provide a quick high, with serious harmful effects.

Johnny's Ambassadors - Youth THC Prevention
Educates parents, teens, and communities about the dangers of today's potent THC products (marijuana, dabs, vapes, edibles) on adolescent brain development, psychosis, and suicide.

Kratom-U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
The FDA and Kratom article provides information about the origin, uses, health risks, and how the FDA is protecting the public from the risks of kratom.

National Family Partnership (NFP)
Provides drug prevention education, advocacy, and the annual National Red Ribbon Celebration.

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