Fighting Teen Drug Use with Plain Facts

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Are you smarter than a high-schooler on drugs? The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has declared Nov. 8–14 National Drug Facts Week, with more than 60 events planned online and around the country to help prevent teen drug problems. If it sounds like an incredibly difficult task, it is. The goal is to present teens with factual information about drugs and drug abuse, without coming across as moralizing, patronizing or unrealistically fear-mongering — or, for that matter, without inadvertently glamorizing drug use. (More on Time.com: Study: Rural Teens Are More Likely to Misuse Prescription Drugs).

Take NIDA’s Drug IQ Challenge here (warning: the online quiz begins with the loud sound of shattering glass, which may jolt adult nerves). See how you do and how well you think NIDA has met its goals. And tell your kids about it — the one thing we do know about effective drug prevention is that it requires open communication and honest conversations about drugs between parents and children.

More on Time.com:

Study: ‘Hyper-Texting’ Teens More Likely to Have Had Sex, Tried Drugs

The Most Dangerous Drugs? Alcohol, Heroin and Crack — in That Order

Addiction Files: The Keith Richards Blueprint for Recovery