Teens, communities, and scientific experts team up for National Drug Facts Week

NIDA to release interactive Drug IQ Challenge and host online chat for teens seeking drug facts

BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Teens and scientists will connect for the fourth National Drug Facts Week, held Jan. 27 – Feb. 2. Through community‐based events, online activities, and a Web-based chat with scientists, this week-long observance encourages teens to get facts from experts about drugs and drug abuse.  It is coordinated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health.

To view the Digital Media Release, please click here: http://dmr.homefrontdc.com/149/l0514-2014-national-drug-facts-week-digital-media-release/

"National Drug Facts Week is designed to shatter the many myths spread by friends, celebrities, media and the Internet about drug use and abuse," said NIDA Deputy Director Dr. Wilson Compton. "When given the facts from trusted sources, teens are better equipped to make smart decisions."

Community-based education events with teens and experts are planned across the country during National Drug Facts Week. Information about local events can be found at: http://teens.drugabuse.gov/ndfw/map. NIDA will also host its annual Drug Facts Chat Day, where students from more than 100 high schools nationwide participate in a live, Web-based Q&A with NIH scientists to get information to make healthy decisions.  Although registration is now closed, the chat can be followed online.

Questions from past Chat Days include:

• Why do some people get addicted to drugs and others don't?
• Can prescription drugs like Adderall help me focus, even if I don't have ADHD?
• How can marijuana be bad for you if it is used as medicine?

NIDA also encourages teens and parents to take the Drug IQ Challenge, a 12-question multiple choice quiz to test their knowledge about drugs.  This year, the Drug IQ Challenge is interactive with videos of NIDA scientists discussing the answer to each question.  By taking the quiz, teens can better understand the risks and side effects of drug use. For instance, 60% of high school seniors don't see regular marijuana use as harmful, but THC – the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana - is nearly five times stronger than it was 20 years ago.

NIDA is part of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and supports most of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to inform policy and improve practice. NIDA's media guide can be found at http://drugabuse.gov/mediaguide/.

SOURCE National Institute on Drug Abuse