Thursday, January 25, 2018

National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week January 22-28

Are you or your teens concerned about underage use of drugs and alcohol? Do you want to learn more about the facts and what you can to help create substance-free schools and communities? Attend the Fairfax Youth Council meeting, Thursday, January 25, at the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board's Merrifield Center, 8221 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive, Fairfax, at 7 p.m.

The Youth Council invites teens who want to make a difference and to help spread the facts of the impact of a lifestyle that involves drugs and alcohol.

These students:

• Lead school-based prevention activities
• Develop their leadership and advocacy skills
• Earn volunteer and service hours
• Are recognized with certificates for achievement and leadership
• Are actively engaged members of the community

Early use of drugs and alcohol cause impairment and can have long-term consequences on a teen brain. Share information during National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week, January 22-28, to help educate youth and young adults on the risks of underage use. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse:

• Starting drugs during youth effects how bodies and brains grow and increases your chances of becoming addicted during adulthood.
• Environmental exposure (family or friends) to drugs or early alcohol use can be an influence. Feeling lonely, succumbing to peer pressure, or intrigued by celebrities who use are some risk factors. Develop strategies to cope with these pressures.
• Drug abuse runs strongly in families; be aware of your family history and the risks.

Get involved; stay informed.

• Join the Drugs and Alcohol Chat Day on January 22 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
• Take the National Drug & Alcohol IQ Challenge Quiz (also available in Spanish).
• Learn about the Fairfax County Youth Survey; discuss the survey results with your teen.
• Join the Fairfax Youth Council; learn more at the January 25 meeting or contact CSB's Amanda Pusey for more information.

Individuals of any age seeking help for a mental health and/or substance use concern, may walk in, without appointment, to the CSB’s Merrifield Center and speak with a staff member in person, rather than initiating contact over the phone. For more information, contact the CSB at 703-383-8500 (M-F, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., extended hours for youth until 7 p.m. on Tuesdays). In an emergency, call CSB Emergency Services at 703-573-5679 (answered 24/7).