SAMHSA Releases Key National Report
 On July 27, the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced the release of the 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).
The 2025 NSDUH provides a national snapshot of behavioral health in the United States based on self-reported responses from more than 60,000 people. A key focus of the annual report released today is examining trends in substance use and mental health among the U.S. population from 2021 to 2025.
This blog post, by Dr. Timothy Westlake, provides a great summary of this year’s findings. One topline result is that key Substance Use Prevalence Trends from 2021 to 2025, for people aged 12-17, were stable or decreased.
For a deeper dive, the full report, with supporting materials, can be found here.
Song for Charlie Collaboration Forum
 On August 27, national non-profit Song for Charlie will host a Collaboration Forum, at which they will share the latest national findings on youth drug perceptions, along with a brand-new way to empower young leaders in communities across the country.
Song for Charlie will present the third wave of their national study with Breakwater Research, which tracks how teens and parents navigate today's drug landscape —their trusted sources, knowledge gaps and coping mechanisms under pressure.
Song for Charlie will also introduce its new self-directed Peer Educator Certification course, showing how young people can lead classroom presentations, host film screenings and advocate for prevention resources in their own schools.
Thursday, August 27, 2026
9:00am–10:00am PT / 12:00pm–1:00pm ET
Participants will get:
- Latest Research Findings: A deep dive into shifted youth and parent attitudes across our 2022, 2024 and 2026 research waves
- Practical Messaging Insights: Research-backed strategies to refine prevention messaging, mental health support and family outreach
- Peer-Led Resources: A guided walkthrough of our new online Peer Educator Certification course and turn-key tools
- Youth Empowerment Strategies: Actionable ways to support young people in leading presentations, film screenings and campus advocacy
- Recorded Session Access: A copy of the recording sent directly to everyone on the Collaboration Forum list
For questions, please contact Denise Mariano, Vice President, Partnerships at dmariano@songforcharlie.org
We're Growing!
The Together for Families network now includes hundreds of organizations and individuals from across the United States. Please encourage families and community members concerned about substance use to sign up for updates.
Also, if you work with an organization that has a free resource, information or event that you want families to know about, encourage them to join the Together for Families network by e-mailing togetherforfamilies@dea.gov.
|
