Below are a number of links that we believe to be relevant and helpful.
This toolkit was developed in partnership with the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and supported by the Administration on Aging (AoA). This kit provides health and social services providers in the aging services field with health promotion and health education activities to prevent substance abuse and mental health problems in older adults. The toolkit also provides strategies to link providers with substance abuse and mental health experts/organizations in their area. Contained in the kit is a program coordinators guide, fact sheets, self-screening tools, resource list, video on how to talk to older adults about alcohol and medication problems, brochures, and the promising practices publication Promoting Older Adult Health: Aging Network Partnerships to Address Medication, Alcohol and Mental Health Problems and Substance Abuse Among Older Adults: A Guide for Social Services Providers. (Updated 2003).
The fifth in a 5-part series, summarizes the science behind drug abuse and addiction, reviews the harmful consequences of drug use, and poses the question of whether it is worth the risk.
The fourth in a 5-part series, explores the biology behind ecstasy use in the brain and discusses both short- and long-term effects of its use.
The third in a 5-part series, reviews the science behind drug abuse and addiction and introduces the topics of prevention and treatment.
The second in a 5-part series, explores the science behind addiction, describing the brain and reward center, and the action of heroin and cocaine.
The first in a 5-part series, offers an understanding of the brain, how the reward center works, and what happens in the brain when a person uses cocaine, opiates (heroine), or marijuana.
In this four-part YouTube video series, Dr. David Jernigan, director of the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, walks us through the issues surrounding alcohol marketing in the digital age.
The video explores the health risks of binge drinking − including unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, injury, car crashes, violence and HIV/AIDS − and discusses effective community prevention strategies such as increasing alcohol excise taxes. The video also features experts who debunk common myths including the belief that binge drinking is only a problem among youth.
PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center unites, engages and educates communities nationwide to address bullying through creative, relevant and interactive resources.
The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) is a non-profit organization that provides a comprehensive set of gender and culturally based services for American Indian women and their families. Located in the Philips neighborhood of Minneapolis and founded in 1984, MIWRC provides a broad range of programs designed to educate and empower American Indian women, their families and the surrounding community.
Building on the Obama Administration's inaugural Strategy, released last year, the 2011 National Drug Control Strategy serves as the Nation's blueprint for reducing drug use and its consequences. Continuing our collaborative, balanced, and science-based approach, the 2011 National Drug Control Strategy emphasizes drug prevention and early intervention programs in healthcare settings, diverting non-violent drug offenders into treatment instead of jail, funding more scientific research on drug use, expanding access to substance abuse treatment, and supporting those in recovery.
CASA Columbia’s 2011 family dinners finds that compared to teens who have frequent family dinners (five to seven per week), those who have infrequent family dinners (fewer than three per week) are almost four times likelier to use tobacco; more than twice as likely to use alcohol; two-and-a-half times likelier to use marijuana; and almost four times likelier to say they expect to try drugs in the future.
Research on bullying prevention indicates that to effectively reduce bullying, the entire school must be involved: adults, students and family members. Curriculum alone is not as effective in reducing bullying as a comprehensive year round program. This website includes a number of bullying briefs, in addition to information on bullying prevention and cyberbullying.
For the first time, CASA Columbia’s 2011 annual teen survey explores teen social network use in relation to teen substance abuse. The survey finds that teens ages 12-17 who spend any time in a typical day on social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace, or who have seen pictures on social networking sites of kids getting drunk, passed out, or using drugs, are likelier to smoke, drink or use drugs. The CASA Columbia survey also looks at the relationship between teens viewing suggestive teen programming and cyber bullying and how they can increase the likelihood of teen substance abuse.
Are you feeling overwhelmed, stressed or have a specific question about your child’s drug or alcohol use? The Parents Toll-Free Helpline is a nationwide support service that offers assistance to parents and other primary caregivers of children who want to talk to someone about their child’s drug use and drinking.
The Web site is a resource to help practitioners and policymakers understand what works in justice-related programs and practices. It includes information on more than 150 justice-related programs and assigns ratings that indicate whether a program achieves its goals.
CADCA’s Policy Change Toolbox was developed to provide coalitions with a catalog of environmental policy changes implemented at the local level by community anti-drug coalitions from all over the United States. It supplies the user with a directory of unique and specific local ordinances, policies, and regulations that community anti-drug coalitions have worked to enact, and a description of the steps taken by coalitions to make these changes occur. Whether your coalition is well-established or just forming, CADCA’s Policy Change Toolbox can be used to see what other coalitions have done in their local public policy arenas.
The National Gang Center Web site features the latest research about gangs; descriptions of evidence-based, anti-gang programs; and links to tools, databases, and other resources to assist in developing and implementing effective community-based gang prevention, intervention, and suppression strategies.
The 2010 National Drug Control Strategy was developed by ONDCP with input from Federal, State, and local partners. It provides a collaborative and balanced approach that emphasizes community-based prevention, integration of evidence-based treatment into the healthcare system, innovations in the criminal justice system, and international partnerships to disrupt drug trafficking organizations.
This website examines the cost of underage drinking in the United States. An option is also availabe to view costs specific to states.
Minnesota's Regional ATOD Prevention Coordinators (RPCs) support local communities in the prevention of alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse (ATOD). To learn more about the RPCs and find out who represents your community please visit their website!
FindYouthInfo.gov is the U.S. government website that helps you create, maintain, and strengthen effective youth programs. Included are youth facts, funding information, and tools to help you assess community assets, generate maps of local and federal resources, search for evidence-based youth programs, and keep up-to-date on the latest, youth-related news.
This program is designed to provide parents with high quality and practical information about Inhalant Abuse so they can include it in their substance abuse discussions with their children.
Mental Health Month began in 1949 to raise awareness of mental health conditions and mental wellness for all. According to estimates from the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 20 percent of persons aged 18 and older reported having a diagnosable mental illness in the previous year. By 2020, mental and substance use disorders will surpass all physical diseases as the major cause of disability worldwide. Visit this link to learn more about the resources offered by SAMHSA.
The EvaluATOD was designed by Wilder Research, in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Human Services, to enhance the capacity of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention professionals. The website provides a wide range of evaluation information.
The Minnesota Prevention Resource Center (MPRC) is a project of the Minnesota Institute of Public Health with funding provided through a grant from the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division (ADAD), Minnesota Department of Human Services 
© Copyright 2012 Minnesota Institute of Public Health.