Prevention
Topics on this page: Proper Drug Disposal | Resources for State & Community Planners | Resources for Teens & Young Adults
Prevention strategies can reduce opioid abuse in the United States. Learn more about safe drug disposal, prevention planning, and education.
Proper Drug Disposal
Safe Drug Disposal: A Guide for Communities Seeking Solutions
Communities across the nation face the challenging issue of helping their residents safely dispose unwanted drugs from their homes. This guide helps readers understand what safe drug disposal is, who should be involved in the development of a program, and ways in which safe drug disposal programs can be promoted to community members.
How to Dispose of Unused Medicines
Although some medications are safe to throw away at home, learn how to properly dispose of your expired prescriptions.
Controlled Substance Public Disposal Locations - Search Utility
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) provides a tool for locating drug disposal locations near you.
Drug Disposal Information
The DEA presents information on drug disposal for practitioners, drug disposal for the general public, rulemaking history on drug disposal, fact sheets, and a webinar.
Resources for State & Community Planners
Finding Interventions to Prevent or Reduce Opioid Abuse and Overdose: Selected Resources
This resource from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) includes tools to support state-level planners in preventing or reducing heroin and other opioid abuse and its consequences.
Science of Prevention
The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), in collaboration with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Deputy Director, hosted a "prevention science" informational webinar for High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program directors in August 2015. The webinar presented evidence-based strategies to reduce drug use.
Recognizing Opioid Abuse
This resource, adapted from research findings, contains a brief table of information to guide recognition of opioid abuse or use disorder in patients receiving long-term opioid therapy.
Urine Drug Testing for Chronic Pain Management
This resource includes information that can be used by clinicians for urine drug testing for opioids and other drugs. Information includes how to perform urine tests, types of opioids, and cut-off levels for opioids in urine.
Grantee Stories, Tools, and Other Resources
Find grantee stories, tools, videos, and other resources to support your prevention efforts.
Get Smart about Drugs
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) drug prevention website for parents, caregivers, and educators.
Resources for Teens & Young Adults
PEERx Interactive Project for Teens on Prescription Drugs
These interactive videos illustrate realistic scenarios in which teens might be confronted with a decision about whether to abuse prescription drugs.
Prescription Drug Poster
NIDA presents an educational poster on prescription drugs for preventing abuse in teens and young adults.
Above the Influence Toolkit: Boost Confidence & Reduce Risk-Taking
This prevention toolkit is designed for 12-17 year olds to boost confidence and prevent risk-taking behaviors, including alcohol and drug abuse. The toolkit includes the Not Prescribed (based on four real-life stories) and Pass It activities.
Just Think Twice
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) teen drug prevention site shares true stories about victims and the families of victims of drug overdose, with information and statistics on drug use.
