NCADD Awareness Month, founded  and sponsored by NCADD since 1987, encourages NCADD’s National Network of Affiliates, health care organizations and communities to reach out to the American public with information about alcohol and alcoholism as a chronic, progressive disease, fatal if untreated, and genetically predisposed. The disease of alcoholism is a family disease that is treatable, not a moral weakness, and people can and do recover. In fact, NCADD estimates that millions of Americans and their families are living lives in recovery from alcoholism.  (Organizers Guide)

For the 25th Anniversary of NCADD Alcohol Awareness Month, NCADD deliberately chose an “open ended” theme designed to highlight the pervasive impact that alcohol, alcohol-related problems and alcoholism have on individuals, on families and children, in the workplace and in our communities.  (NCADD Alcohol Awareness Month 2011- One Too Many- 25^th Anniversary)  The "open ended" theme allowed NCADD's National Network of Affiliates and other NCADD Alcohol Awareness Month supporting organizations across the country to use the theme as a way of tying in with the priority programs and issues in their local communities.  Although the victims of alcohol-related problems number in the tens of millions, it ultimately comes down to one thing and one thing only...One Too Many.  (Media Update- NCADD Alcohol Awareness Month- 2011- One Too Many).

An integral part of NCADD Alcohol Awareness Month is Alcohol-Free Weekend, which takes place on the first weekend of April (April 1-3, 2011) to raise public awareness about the use of alcohol and how it may be affecting individuals, families, businesses and our communities.  During Alcohol-Free Weekend, NCADD extends an open invitation to all Americans to engage in three alcohol-free days.  Those individuals or families who experience difficulty or discomfort in this 72-hour experiment are urged to contact local NCADD affiliates, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Al-Anon to learn more about alcoholism and its early symptoms.

NCADD Alcohol & Other Drug Related Birth Defects Awareness Week

Each May, NCADD and our National Network of Affiliates play a major and vital role across the U.S. in educating people, especially women, about the dangers of consuming alcohol and using drugs during pregnancy.  It is not pretty.  Newborns can come into the world with severe birth defects. The reality is harsh and sad.  NCADD believes children deserve better!  An educated mother and her spouse and/or sexual partner can prevent the fate many newborns face.  NCADD knows these tragic births can be prevented if people understood the truth.

National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month

National Recovery Month is a national observance sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) each September.  NCADD has been a sponsor since Recovery Month’s inception 22 years ago and is a Planning Partner.  The observance educates Americans on the fact that addiction treatment and mental health services can enable those with a substance use or mental disorder to live a healthy and rewarding life.  Recovery Month’s message is that prevention works, treatment is effective and people can and do recover and encourages action to help expand and improve the availability of effective recovery services for those in need.  For the past three years, NCADD has worked with A&E and its Recovery Project in planning and sponsoring a National Recovery Rally, the first two years in New York City and in 2011 in Philadelphia, in conjunction with NCADD Affiliates from the area.   In 2009, the NYC Recovery Rally attracted a crowd of 10,000 and the 2010 Philadelphia Recovery Rally, sponsored by NCADD Affiliate, the Council of Southeast Pennsylvania/PRO-ACT, drew a crowd of more than 12,000!Throughout the country, state and local NCADD Affiliates plan and sponsor a variety of community-based events and celebrations to commemorate the observance.

The theme of Recovery Month 2011 is Join the Voices for Recovery: Recovery Benefits Everyone.