Check Out These Webinars During National Prevention Week
 SAMHSA's National Prevention Week — May 10-16, 2026 — showcases the work of communities across the country to prevent substance use and promote well-being.
Sign up for one or more of the following webinars to learn more:
- May 11: Innovations in Prevention
- May 13: Celebrating the Possibilities of Prevention
- May 14: Storytelling for Prevention Impact
ONDCP has developed social media messages that you can use, every day of Prevention Week, to raise awareness. Post these messages on your social media with the hashtag #NationalPreventionWeek.
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Monday: May 10-16 is National Prevention Week! Most Americans are making the healthy choice to protect their brains, broader health, and well-being by not using drugs. According to the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 83.3% of Americans do not use drugs. Being drug-free is the social norm! (246 characters)
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Tuesday: Primary prevention works, and it’s cost-effective. Prevention science draws upon disciplines such as epidemiology, psychology, medicine, and neuroscience, and identifies and applies evidence-based strategies that strengthen protective factors and reduce risk factors at the individual, family, and community levels. (277 characters)
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Wednesday: Lifelong prevention builds lifelong health. Parents and caregivers are the single strongest influence on a young person’s decision whether or not to use drugs. More than 80% of youth ages 10–18 cite their parents as the leading factor in their decision-making. (220 characters)
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Thursday: Youth and community engagement is critical. Engaging youth fosters positive youth development by building a sense of belonging, life skills, and strong social connections. Connections with peers, families, and communities are a major factor in driving positive behaviors in our young people. (250 characters)
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Friday: Brain maturation continues well into the mid-twenties, ages 25-27, when the brain completes critical developmental processes. Exposure to addictive substances during this formative period interferes with this process, and addiction is up to seven times more likely if drugs are initiated while the brain is still developing. (278 characters)
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has also developed a National Prevention Week Toolkit, which contains additional resources you can use to raise awareness.
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APALD Launches Campaign Countering Street Drugs
 APALD – the Association of People Against Lethal Drugs – has launched a national public awareness initiative we are launching titled “Every Form. Every Risk.”
This campaign is designed to complement existing efforts by expanding awareness beyond counterfeit pills to include all forms of illicit drug exposure—pill, powder, smoke, and liquid—and the increasing unpredictability of today’s drug supply.
APALD’s goal is to align with and reinforce the important work already being done while helping families and communities better understand the full scope of current risks.
APALD launched the initiative at a community outreach event on May 2, 2026, in Lima, Ohio. In an interview, Diane Urban, founder and president of APALD spoke about how important it is to "educate parents in our community on the dangers of street drugs, and the fact that illicit drugs remain the number one cause of death in America. So, it's really important that the community gets together and is informed."
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