NIDA’s drug abuse information for teens goes mobile

NIH also improves access for parents, teachers, and Spanish language readers

Teens — and adults who care for them — can now find answers  to questions about drug abuse and addiction more easily, and through  smartphones and tablets. Spanish language versions of easy to understand  resources on drug abuse and addiction are now also available. The updates,  announced today by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the  National Institutes of Health, are being launched as part of National  Substance Abuse Prevention Month events in October.

For teens, their parents and  teachers, NIDA has upgraded its popular teen website to a “responsive design”  model that automatically adjusts to fit the viewer’s screen for better viewing  through smartphones and tablets. The new design is also more engaging, with  larger, more vibrant buttons that link directly to resources that provide  answers to questions and concerns related to drug abuse in adolescents. The  teen site continues to house free, interactive resources such as its teen blog and PEERx,  an online educational initiative to discourage abuse of prescription drugs  among teens.

In addition to the redesigned teen site, NIDA’s improved Parents and Educators page makes it easier for caregivers and teachers to find free, scientifically  based prevention and education resources. Examples include Family Checkup — a tool for talking with children about drugs —  as well as the latest  science-based information on the health effects and consequences of drug abuse.  Teachers can also find free resources for elementary, middle and high  school students, including examples of classroom-based science experiments from the  NIH Lab Challenge.

To reach adults with limited literacy skills, NIDA’s  Easy-to-Read website now includes Spanish-language versions of its Drug  Facts pages; its What is  Addiction? section; as well as two easy to understand videos explaining the science behind  drug addiction.

In October, parents, youth, schools, businesses and  community leaders across the country join together in recognizing the role that  substance abuse prevention plays in promoting safe and healthy communities.  National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, which began in 2011, is organized by  the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

“By using improved Web and handheld device strategies to  distribute research findings, we can reach a broader audience,” said NIDA  Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow. “NIDA is launching these tools during National  Substance Abuse Prevention Month and will continue to translate the science to  guide effective prevention and education efforts in homes and communities.”

For more  information on drug prevention, see NIDA’s Preventing Drug Abuse among Children  and Adolescents at www.drugabuse.gov/publications/preventing-drug-abuse-among-children-adolescents.   To find out how to get involved in National Substance Abuse Prevention Month,  visit www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/prevention-intro/prevention-month .

The  National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes of  Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA 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. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and information  on NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page at http://www.drugabuse.gov,  which is now compatible with your smartphone, iPad or tablet. To order  publications in English or Spanish, call NIDA’s DrugPubs research  dissemination center at 1-877-NIDA-NIH or 240-645-0228 (TDD) or fax or email  requests to 240-645-0227 or drugpubs@nida.nih.gov.  Online ordering is available at http://drugpubs.drugabuse.gov.  NIDA’s media guide can be found at http://drugabuse.gov/mediaguide,  and its new easy-to-read website can be found at http://www.easyread.drugabuse.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

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