The rate of U.S. teen vaping and marijuana use is on the rise, while their use of other substances including alcohol and cigarettes is declining, according to a new study.

Researchers tracking substance use trends among U.S. teens over the past 30 years found substance use has generally declined, except for overall marijuana use and vaping nicotine and marijuana, HealthDay reports.

The percentage of U.S. teens who said they had vaped nicotine in the past month increased from 7% to 17% between 2017 and 2019, the study found. Marijuana vaping rose from just over 3% to almost 10% during that time.

Rates of substance use were highest among teens who had a job or who spent a lot of time with friends, without adults around, the study found. Substance use was least likely to occur among teens who did not spend a lot of time around friends or who took part in sports or other structured activities.

“Years of research show that when young people are engaged in activities they enjoy and feel are meaningful, they have less reason to turn to substance use to soothe their boredom or seek sensation,” said Linda Richter, vice president of prevention research and analysis for Partnership to End Addiction, who was not involved in the study.

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Two potent substances are increasingly being linked to overdoses, NBC News reports. One is a group of synthetic opioids called nitazenes, and the other is an animal tranquilizer called xylazine.

Nitazenes can be up to 10 times stronger than fentanyl, the article notes. Last week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report that showed a fourfold increase in deadly overdoses linked to nitazenes in Tennessee in the last two years. No nitazene-related deaths were documented in the state in 2019. The following year, 10 such deaths were reported, and 42 were reported in 2021.

“Naloxone has been effective in reversing nitazene-involved overdoses, but multiple doses might be needed,” the CDC report said. The researchers noted, “Given their potency, raising awareness about nitazenes and implementing strategies to reduce harm through increased testing, surveillance, and linkage to treatment for substance use disorders are of vital importance.”

Addiction experts told NBC News that traces of the non-opioid animal tranquilizer xylazine is also showing up in fentanyl samples. Xylazine is often referred to as “tranq” or “tranq dope,” and can cause people to slip into a state of unconsciousness for hours.

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Contest Submissions Accepted through November 1st

September 23, 2022 – Miami, FL –Beginning October 1st, students, families, and schools across America are invited to participate in the 12th Annual National Red Ribbon Week Photo Contest aimed at raising visibility to live drug-free by being creative. The contest, co-sponsored by the National Family Partnership (NFP) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), will be held in conjunction with National Red Ribbon Week, which takes place each year from October 23rd through 31st. The contest will award more than $20,000 to K-12 schools in cities across America.

The photo contest involves participants decorating the fronts of their homes (front door, mailbox, or fence), and/or school campuses with double-looped red ribbons while incorporating this year's Red Ribbon theme, Celebrate Life. Live Drug Free. ™ Participants enter the contest by taking a photo of their decorations (preferably with people in it!) and uploading it to the redribbon.org/contest website. You must be 18 years old to enter, so parents (or for school entries, school staff or PTA members) must submit the photos.

Twenty winners will be selected from two entry categories: Home Entry or School Entry. The top five schools and top five home submissions that receive the most votes in five designated DEA regions across the country will win $1,000 for the school of their choice and an Apple iPad for personal use. Additionally, ten winners will be selected from the following categories: Most Creative Home, Best Use of Family, Best Use of Theme, Best Virtual Photo, Most Educational, Most Creative School or Virtual School, Best Use of School or Virtual School, Best Use of Theme, Most Ambitious and Most Educational. The winners of these categories will also win $1,000 for the school of their choice and an Apple iPad for personal use.

The DEA has been a longtime co-sponsor of the National Red Ribbon Week Photo Contest, which is now in its twelfth year. Keeping communities Drug-Free is a mission both the DEA and NFP have been laser focused on shared for many years. NFP hopes this fun and interactive photo contest will bring awareness about living Drug-Free to communities across the country.

“Each year, the National Family Partnership encourages the joy of living a Drug-Free life,” said Peggy Sapp, Volunteer President of National Family Partnership and President and CEO of Informed Families. “The Community’s involvement is important to helping a person’s choose to live drug free."

The contest begins October 1st at 9 a.m. E.S.T. and ends November 1st at 9 p.m. E.S.T. The voting period begins November 2nd and ends November 16th. The 2022 Red Ribbon Photo Contest Winners will be announced December 2nd. Please visit www.redribbon.org/contest for more information.

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About the National Family Partnership

The National Family Partnership was established in 1980 and is a national leader in drug prevention, education, and advocacy. Its mission is to lead our nation’s families and communities in nurturing the full potential of healthy, drug-free youth. Red Ribbon Week is the nation’s largest and oldest drug prevention campaign. NFP created the campaign in response to the 1985 abduction and murder of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. In addition to the Red Ribbon Campaign®, NFP sponsors the Lock Your Meds® Campaign to prevent prescription drug abuse. Learn more about Red Ribbon Week at www.redribbon.org and NFP at www.nfp.org. 

Learn how to make a winning video during SAMHSA and DEA Twitter chat

As part of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Red Ribbon Week campaign, DEA and SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention are co-sponsoring the annual Campus Video PSA Contest! The contest is designed to support colleges and universities in promoting the importance of preventing alcohol and drug misuse among college students.

Interested in competing? Join SAMHSA, the DEA’s Campus Drug Prevention initiative, and the larger prevention community for a Twitter chat on Wednesday, September 21, at 2 p.m. ET. During the chat, SAMHSA will share video creation tools, resources, and inspiration to help you create the very best 30- to 60-second video PSA showcasing your campus’s commitment to a healthy, drug-free lifestyle!

This year DEA announced that they will be awarding prizes to first, second, and third place-winning entries to support campus prevention efforts.

• First place will receive $5,000 and a trip for two to NASPA’s Strategies Conference (January 18-21, 2023, in Kansas City, Missouri).
• Second place will receive $3,000.
• Third place will receive $1,000.

Follow #AskDEACampus, @SAMHSAgov, and @DEAHQ on Twitter to participate in the conversation. You can learn more about the PSA contest by visiting www.campusdrugprevention.gov/psacontest.

Did you know? Red Ribbon Week was created to honor DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena after he was murdered by drug traffickers in 1985. The week has now become an annual event highlighting the importance of preventing drug misuse in our nation’s schools and communities. Each year from October 23–31, organizations across the U.S. show their commitment to a healthy, drug-free lifestyle by wearing or displaying the Red Ribbon.

Spread the Red Ribbon message online. Use our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts!

Virtual Red Ribbon Campaign Tools 

Share your support for Red Ribbon Week with your friends and followers! Together, we can send a clear message across America. All you have to do to participate is tweet, post on Facebook and Instagram with any or all of the suggested language below to spread the word about Red Ribbon Week: See the examples below, copy the language you want to use on your blog or social networking site and start spreading the message! We also encourage you to take a photo of your favorite drug-free activities and post on Instagram with #RedRibbonWeek and #CelebrateLifeLiveDrugFree.

Sample Facebook Posts

• Celebrate Life. Live Drug Free.^TM – Celebrate Red Ribbon Week (October 23-31).
• It’s Red Ribbon Week and I am taking a stand against drugs. Join me. Take the pledge: www.redribbon.org/pledge
• Today, I’m honoring Kiki Camarena, a DEA agent who died while fighting substance abuse. Join me in celebrating Red Ribbon Week 2022. Take the pledge: www.redribbon.org/pledge
• Today, I'm joining teens, parents, teachers, and other citizens across America in celebrating Red Ribbon Week (October 23-31), the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation.
• Join me in celebrating Red Ribbon Week. Our children have the right to grow up drug free – and we have the responsibility to make that happen. Take the pledge: www.redribbon.org/pledge
• I’m entering the Red Ribbon Photo Contest to win an iPad and $1,000 for my school. You can enter too at www.redribbon.org/contest.
• I’m a teacher who believes in a drug free future for my students. Join me in celebrating Red Ribbon Week (October 23-31)
• I’m a parent who believes in a drug free future for my children. Join me in celebrating Red Ribbon Week (October 23-31).

Sample Tweets

• Celebrate Life. Live Drug Free.^TM – Celebrate #RedRibbonWeek (October 23-31).
• It’s Red Ribbon Week® and I am taking a stand against drugs. Join me. Take the pledge: www.redribbon.org/pledge  #RedRibbonWeek #CelebrateLifeLiveDrugFree
• Today, I’m honoring Kiki Camarena, a DEA agent who died while fighting substance abuse. Join me. Take the pledge: www.redribbon.org/pledge. #RedRibbonWeek
• Join me in celebrating Red Ribbon Week®. Take the pledge: www.redribbon.org/pledge. #CelebrateLifeLiveDrugFree
• I’m entering the Red Ribbon Photo Contest to win an iPad and $1,000 for my school. You can enter too at www.redribbon.org #RedRibbonWeek
• I’m a teacher who believes in a drug free future for my students. Join me in celebrating Red Ribbon Week® (October 23-31). #CelebrateLifeLiveDrugFree
• I’m a parent who believes in a drug free future for my children. Join me in celebrating Red Ribbon Week® (October 23-31). #CelebrateLifeLiveDrugFree

Sample Instagram Posts

• Celebrate Life. Live Drug Free.^TM – Celebrate #RedRibbonWeek (October 23-31)
• Celebrate Life. Live Drug Free.^TM #RedRibbonWeek
•  It’s Red Ribbon Week® and I am taking a stand against drugs. Join me. Take the pledge: www.redribbon.org/pledge #RedRibbonWeek #CelebrateLifeLiveDrugFre
• Today, I’m honoring Kiki Camarena, a DEA agent who died while fighting substance abuse. Join me. Take the pledge: www.redribbon.org/pledge. #RedRibbonWeek
• Join me in celebrating Red Ribbon Week®. #CelebrateLifeLiveDrugFree #RedRibbonWeek
• Take the pledge: www.redribbon.org/pledge. #CelebrateLifeLiveDrugFree #RedRibbonWeek
•  I’m entering the Red Ribbon Photo Contest to win an iPad and $1,000 for my school. You can enter too at www.redribbon.org #RedRibbonWeek #CelebrateLifeLiveDrugFree
  
  

Last year, the Freedom Tower, FTX Arena, Miami Tower, Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, and other landmarks in Florida illuminated their building red in support of a drug-free lifestyle. The Red Ribbon Campaign® is now the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation reaching millions of young people during Red Ribbon Week®, October 23 – October 31 each year. It is a simple and brilliant way for people and communities to unite and take a visible stand against drugs.

Join us in increasing awareness and support for drug-free prevention in America and our youth.

WASHINGTON – The Drug Enforcement Administration is advising the public of an alarming emerging trend of colorful fentanyl available across the United States.  In August 2022, DEA and our law enforcement partners seized brightly-colored fentanyl and fentanyl pills in 18 states.  Dubbed “rainbow fentanyl” in the media, this trend appears to be a new method used by drug cartels to sell highly addictive and potentially deadly fentanyl made to look like candy to children and young people.

“Rainbow fentanyl—fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes, and sizes—is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The men and women of the DEA are relentlessly working to stop the trafficking of rainbow fentanyl and defeat the Mexican drug cartels that are responsible for the vast majority of the fentanyl that is being trafficked in the United States.”

Brightly-colored fentanyl is being seized in multiple forms, including pills, powder, and blocks that resembles sidewalk chalk. Despite claims that certain colors may be more potent than others, there is no indication through DEA’s laboratory testing that this is the case.  Every color, shape, and size of fentanyl should be considered extremely dangerous.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.  Just two milligrams of fentanyl, which is equal to 10-15 grains of table salt, is considered a lethal dose.  Without laboratory testing, there is no way to know how much fentanyl is concentrated in a pill or powder. 

Fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing this country.  According to the CDC, 107,622 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021, with 66 percent of those deaths related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.  Drug poisonings are the leading killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 45.  Fentanyl available in the United States is primarily supplied by two criminal drug networks, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

In September 2021, DEA launched the One Pill Can Kill Public Awareness Campaign to educate Americans about the dangers of fake pills.  Additional resources for parents and the community can be found on DEA's Fentanyl Awareness page.

If you encounter fentanyl in any form, do not handle it and call 911 immediately.

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On August 19^th, 2022, over 275 community leaders join Miami Community Newspapers to welcome U.S. Senator Marco Rubio at Evelyn Greer Park. National Family Partnership joined the recent luncheon alongside State Senator Ileana Garcia and Miami-Dade School Board Member, District 9, Luisa Santos. Senator Garcia is committed to develop funding and accessible resources for youth prevention. Recently, Senator Garcia secured $175,000 in state funding that will directly assist its “Foster Care to Independent Living” Program.

Peggy Sapp, President, and CEO of Informed Families and Volunteer President of National Family Partnership took the opportunity to speak in front of Senator Rubio.  “We need to advocate for 50% of all the Opioid Dollars coming down to states and communities to be allotted to prevention programs in schools, families and communities, stated Ms. Sapp. The 2022 Red Ribbon Theme is “Celebrate Life. Live Drug Free”, a nationwide campaign advocating for a drug-free environment and where hundreds of schools and families submit their photo of what it means to live drug-free. NFP’s mission is helping children reach their full potential. 

Thank you to the Miami Community News for hosting the Marco Rubio Luncheon and who continue to encourage future generations in America to live a healthy and drug-free lifestyle.

National Family Partnership recently held a survey in which recipients were asked how we could better serve their families.  How would you like to hear from us? Did you prefer tips, a newsletter or messaging? These were just some of the questions we asked. We are here to support and effectively serve our communities and we need YOUR HELP to make our community better and safer!

Those who participated were also placed in a random drawing for a $50 Gift Card to Publix Super Market. Our lucky winner that was randomly chosen was Rosalie Roybal of Lynwood Unified School District in Lynwood, California. Congratulations to Rosalie!

You’ve cleaned out the medicine cabinet and talked with your teen about avoiding alcohol and drugs, but despite your best efforts, your kid takes something they shouldn’t have. What now?  Fortunately, there’s an easy answer. The same poison control center that helped with your toddler can also help with your tween or teen. 

In 2020, about 14% of calls to poison control centers were about youth aged 6-19. In older teens, many calls are about intentional misuse, and even self-harm. Get fast, confidential help  for any potential poisoning by calling 1-800-222-1222. The doctors, nurses and pharmacists at your poison center will calmly walk you through what to do to protect your child from serious, or even fatal, poisoning. To find your local poison center, visit AAPCC.org, or call 1-800-222-1222 any time, 24/7.