As summer begins, I’m reminded of something we say, prevention doesn’t take a break.

When school is out, teens have more time on their hands and fewer structured activities—and while summer can be a time of growth, freedom, and fun, it can also bring increased risks. Research shows that first-time substance use often happens during the summer, simply because kids have more unsupervised time and opportunities.

That’s why this month, I want to encourage all of us—families, schools, and communities—to see summer as a season of prevention. It’s a unique window to stay connected, stay informed, and continue building the habits that keep our children safe, healthy, and drug-free.

Here are a few ways we can all support prevention this summer:

1. Set a Summer Routine

Teens may not say it, but they do better with structure. Establish a daily rhythm that works for your family. You can even align screen time with the hottest part of the day, so they’re staying cool and out of the sun. Routines don’t need to be rigid—they just need to offer consistency.

2. Keep Them Engaged

Keeping teens busy in meaningful ways over the summer can help reduce boredom, limit screen time, and lower the risk of risky behavior. Here are some practical ideas for all types of families:

• Break Down the Summer Reading List
  Help your teen divide their reading into manageable chunks. Create a simple checklist they can mark off daily or weekly so it doesn’t feel overwhelming by August.
• Start a Daily Challenge
  It could be a fitness goal, journaling prompt, or creative activity—something small they do each day to stay consistent and motivated. Get their friends involved.
• Volunteer Together, friends included!
  Many local nonprofits, churches, and animal shelters welcome teen volunteers. It’s a great way to build responsibility and give back.
• Host a Theme Night at Home!
  Pick a night each week for a fun family activity, include their friends—movie night, DIY pizza, game night, or a cultural dinner night where you cook food from a different country.
• Explore Local Resources
  Check your library, community center, or parks department for free or low-cost programs, classes, or events.
• Plan a “Staycation”
  Visit local museums, nature trails, or tourist spots in your area you’ve never explored. Make it a fun photo challenge or scavenger hunt.
• Encourage a Summer Job or Side Hustle
  Babysitting, dog walking, mowing lawns, or even selling handmade crafts online—these teach responsibility and independence.
• Enroll in a Camp or Workshop
  Whether it’s art, tech, music, or sports, specialized camps can fuel their passions while keeping them active and social.
• Plan a Trip or Family Experience
  If it fits your budget, consider a weekend getaway, road trip, or even attending a concert or sporting event together. These moments create lasting memories and opportunities for connection.

3. Stay Involved

Check in often. Ask questions. Know their friends and their plans. Your presence and interest—even if they act like they don’t notice—makes a powerful difference.

4. Keep the Conversation Going

Use everyday moments—like car rides or family meals—to have open, honest conversations. Talking about the risks of drugs and alcohol shouldn’t be a one-time lecture, but an ongoing dialogue. Most importantly, create a space where your child feels safe coming to you with questions. Don’t shy away from the tough topics—give real, age-appropriate answers and let them know they won’t be judged. When kids feel heard and supported, they’re more likely to make healthy choices.

5. Lean on Your Community

Prevention is not something any one person does alone. Connect with other families, encourage your school or faith group to stay active, and support local youth programs whenever you can.

Let’s make this summer a season where prevention is present—not just in our words, but in our actions.

Wishing you a safe, joyful, and connected summer,

Peggy B. Sapp
President

 

 

Lock Your Meds Initiative is a Universal Prevention Campaign

January 11th, 2023 – Miami, FL– Did you know that 53% of misused medications come from family and friends, not a stranger/drug dealer or the internet? The Lock Your Meds® campaign, created by the National Family Partnership and its affiliate Informed Families/The Florida Family Partnership is a universal prevention campaign intended to save lives by preventing prescription drug misuse, which is the fastest growing substance misuse problem in America. 

Currently, the drug problem has a different identity and must be addressed with new combat tactics. To think that you, as parents and grandparents, could unknowingly be a supplier of prescription medications to your children is disturbing. Through our established, national network of supporters such as Community Impact North Carolina and Publix Pharmacy®, we can begin to educate our nation on the Lock Your Meds® initiative and help parents implement preventative steps to keep children and teens from accessing these medications. However, our work doesn’t stop here.

We want to grow and join forces with you, your community groups and your healthcare organizations that are not yet involved. We want to help arm each of you with the appropriate information and tools to be our Number One line of defense against this growing epidemic. The Lock Your Meds® campaign utilizes a variety of mediums to deliver its message, and all are available to you for use in your organization’s efforts and in your community. These resources can be found at https://lockyourmeds.org/spread-the-word/. 

As parents and guardians, you don’t have to feel helpless in this fight. You must be aware and take the appropriate steps to not share. Everyone can implement these preventative steps to help ensure your children have a drug-free future:

• Take frequent inventory of your medications, keeping track of quantities of both prescribed and over-the-counter medications.
• Lock your meds in a safe location where children cannot access them.
• Talk to your children regularly about the dangers of misusing prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
• Get involved by joining our campaign.
• Purchase a Vaultz® Lockbox to instill proper storage for your prescription medication at https://www.nfp.org/store. 

Knowledge helps save lives. In these last 25 years, it has taken more than just our core staff at NFP to share that knowledge of drug prevention with our nation. We are very thankful for all the parent groups, Red Ribbon Certified Schools, community groups, healthcare professionals and organizations that joined in our efforts to educate and nurture parents and families.

We are especially grateful to Community Impact NC and Publix Pharmacy® for their generous support of the Lock Your Meds® campaign. We look forward to continuing to support each of you on a national and local level, providing you with resources and a national voice.

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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.