National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week Targets Youth

National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week

Plus: The Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, and webinars on addiction and recovery

By Ellie Jensen

New & Next: Education

National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week Nears

National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week is slated for March 21 to 27 with the intent to, as its slogan says, “shatter the myths” about substance use. The annual event, launched in 2010 by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), will disseminate facts surrounding drug use and addiction among young people. Several informational activities will take place across the country. A map of NIDA-approved events for National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week can be found here.

New & Next: Community

Register for the Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit

The annual Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit will run from April 18 to 24 in Atlanta. The purpose of the summit, according to its website, is “to share best practices and strategies for prevention, treatment and recovery.” Advanced registration rates are available until Feb. 4, with group discounts available for groups of five or more. Featured speakers include NIDA director Nora Volkow, MD, and Robert L. DuPont, MD, president of the Institute for Behavior and Health.

New & Next: Webinars

The Role of Shame in Substance Use Disorder (SUD)

A free webinar from NAADAC, “Shame: A Long Ignored Key in SUDs,” is scheduled for Jan. 26 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. EST. It focuses on how shame affects those suffering from SUD, and offers methods for professionals to address and work through those feelings with their clients.

Peer Support in Addiction Recovery

The free NAADAC webinar “Incorporating Peer Recovery Support Services in Medication Assisted Treatment and Recovery” will take place on Feb. 9 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. EST. Among the topics of discussion will be how patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) can benefit from the attention of a peer recovery support specialist in addition to medication-assisted treatment (MAT). For further details and registration information, click here.

Treating Patients with OUD

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) will offer a virtual course called “Moving Beyond the Barriers of Treating Opioid Use Disorder” on Feb. 16 from 5:00 to 8:15 p.m. EST. The course addresses ways that clinicians can navigate barriers to providing office-based treatment to clients suffering from OUD. Registration rates and further information can be found here.

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