“The 2016 Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health, titled “Facing Addiction in America,” is a call to action for the school-based health care (SBHC) field and others. More than 90 percent of individuals who experience a substance use disorder as an adult began their use before the age of 18. Assessing risk and protective factors is a service provided by all SBHCs, presenting the opportunity to develop and enhance substance use prevention and early intervention, delaying the onset of use, and decreasing the likelihood of addiction as an adult. Actively screening and intervening with youth will lead to better outcomes academically and overall health and well-being.”

Learn more from School-Based Health Alliance (USA, 2020)