Youth Council Meeting January 17, 2019

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Learn more about National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week, January 22-27, 2019

Are you or your teens concerned about underage use of drugs and alcohol? Do you want to learn the facts and how you can help create substance-free schools and communities? In advance of National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week, attend the Fairfax Youth Council meeting, Thursday, January 17, at the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board's Merrifield Center, 8221 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive, Fairfax, at 7 p.m.

National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week, which is January 22–27, links students with scientists and other experts to counteract the myths about drugs and alcohol that teens get from the internet, social media, TV, movies, music, or from friends. Launched in 2010 by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), locally planned and hosted school and community events focus on providing teens with the scientific facts about drugs and alcohol. At the January 17 Youth Council event, local teens will engage in conversation to identify new ways to spread the messages of drug prevention and plan activities and public events for 2019.

The Youth Council includes high school 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 causes impairment and can have long-term consequences on a teen brain. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse:

• Starting drugs during youth affects 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 in activities surrounding National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week and stay informed locally:

• Join the live web chat on Drugs, Your Body, Your Brain Drugs and Alcohol Chat Day on January 24 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
• Learn about the Fairfax County Youth Survey; discuss the survey results with your teen.
• Join the Fairfax Youth Council; learn more at the January 17 meeting or contact CSB's Chad Christian 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. to 5 p.m., extended hours for youth until 7 p.m. on Tuesdays). In an emergency, call CSB Emergency Services at 703-573-5679 or the Fairfax Detoxification Center at 703-502-7000 [TTY 703-322-9080] (both answered 24/7).