National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month: Protecting Kansas Teens Through Education and Community Support

October is National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month, a dedicated time to shine a light on the importance of protecting young people from the risks of alcohol, nicotine, prescription misuse, and other drugs. This observance reminds us that prevention isn’t just about saying “no”; it’s about building resilience, connection, and hope (ari.socialwork.utexas.edu).

Why prevention matters now

During adolescence, the brain is still developing, making youths more vulnerable to long-term harm from substance use. Evidence shows that delaying the start of substance use even by a few years can dramatically reduce the chance of developing addiction later (hiprc.org).

The Kansas picture: Where are we now?

Among Kansans aged 12–17, 7.1% report using illicit drugs (including marijuana) in the past month (data from 2021-2022) (americashealthrankings.org). In a survery published in 2024, over 8.8% of Kansas students say they’ve experienced a substance use disorder involving alcohol or drugs. That translates to roughly 22,000 young people in the state (kasb.org). Kansas’ drug overdose death rate between 2020 and 2022 was 21.9 deaths per 100,000 population, which remains a critical public health concern (kansashealthmatters.org).

These numbers remind us that youth substance use is not a distant issue; it affects families in every Kansas community.

What we can do together

• Raise awareness and talk openly. Honest, nonjudgmental conversations at home, school, and in community settings reduce stigma and make it safer for youth to ask questions.

• Promote evidence-based prevention. Programs that build social skills, stress management, and connection outperform scare tactics (thenationalcouncil.org).

• Strengthen protective environments. Support peer mentoring, after-school programs, and spaces like Wichita Recovery Hub on Wednesdays where youth feel seen, supported, and valued.

• Engage community and policymakers. Prevention pays off: every dollar invested in quality prevention programming can yield many times more in savings from reduced healthcare, legal, and social costs (obamawhitehouse.archives.gov).

During this month and always, let’s reaffirm our commitment to Kansas youth. By educating, connecting, and uplifting them, we move from fear to healing and building futures where substance misuse is not the path, but one of many challenges we face with young people, not against them.