This October marks the second annual National Substance Abuse Prevention Month – an observance to highlight the vital role of substance abuse prevention in both individual and community health and to remember those who have lost their lives to alcohol and drugs.

National Substance Abuse Prevention Month encourages prevention efforts this month and all year long to ensure the health of teens and young adults.

According the recently released 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 20.6 million Americans over the age of 12 are addicted to alcohol and drugs; 14.1 million alcohol, 3.9 million illicit drugs, no alcohol and 2.6 million, alcohol and illicit drugs. Plain and simple, underage drinking, alcohol and drug dependence, non-medical use of prescription drugs, abuse of over-the-counter medications, and illicit drug use take a devastating toll on our families and in our communities. For example, young Americans aged 12 to 20 account for 11% of the country's monthly alcohol consumption; and, approximately 23 million people aged 12 or older used illicit drugs in 2010. This abuse touches all aspects of our communities and contributes to an estimated $416 billion in crime, health care, and lost productivity costs.

Prevention strategies targeting the root of the problem are essential to curb drug use and help people lead healthier lives. Early intervention helps prevent substance abuse and reduce the negative consequences of addiction before they occur. Through community-based efforts involving youth, parents, educators, and government officers, we can strengthen the support systems that deter our Nation's young people from drug consumption and improve both academic performance and workforce readiness.

According to The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) "2012 National Drug Control Strategy," each $1.00 invested in an evidence-based prevention program can reduce costs related to substance use disorders by an average of $18.00. The Strategy includes new developments in efforts to reduce drug use and its consequences and outlines a research-based blueprint to reduce the rate of drug use and drug use consequences by 15 percent over five years (2010-2015). Click here to read the ONDCP Strategy.

NCADD and our National Network of Affiliates provide an array of programs and services, including Information and Referral, Prevention, Education and Training through NCADD's National Network of Affiliates, Community Awareness efforts, Advocacy, and Intervention, Treatment and Recovery Support. To read more about NCADD's programs, click here.

National Recovery Month (Recovery Month) is a national observance that educates Americans on the fact that addiction treatment and mental health services can enable those with a mental and/or substance use disorder to live a healthy and rewarding life. The observance's main focus is to laud the gains made by those in recovery from these conditions, just as we would those who are managing other health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and heart disease. Recovery Month spreads the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people can and do recover.

Recovery Month, now in its 23rd year, highlights individuals who have reclaimed their lives and are living happy and healthy lives in long-term recovery and also honors the prevention, treatment, and recovery service providers who make recovery possible. Recovery Month promotes the message that recovery in all its forms is possible, and also encourages citizens to take action to help expand and improve the availability of effective prevention, treatment, and recovery services for those in need.

Celebrated during the month of September, thousands of prevention, treatment, and recovery programs and services around the country celebrate their successes and share them with their neighbors, friends, and colleagues in an effort to educate the public about recovery, how it works, for whom, and why. There are millions of Americans whose lives have been transformed through recovery. These successes often go unnoticed by the broader population; therefore, Recovery Month provides a vehicle to celebrate these accomplishments.

The 2012 Recovery Month observance emphasizes that while the road to recovery may be difficult, the benefits of preventing and overcoming behavioral health conditions are significant and valuable to individuals, families, and communities. Recovery Month, has become a year-round initiative that supports educational outreach and celebratory events throughout the year.

For an overview for people in recovery, A Vision of Hope, Help and Healing, click here.

NCADD offers many local resources for individuals and families in recovery. For access to these resources, click here.

Click here for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) official National Recover Month website.