The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), created this Web site to educate adolescents ages 11 through 15 (as well as their parents and teachers) on the science behind drug abuse. NIDA enlisted the help of teens in developing the site to ensure that the content addresses appropriate questions and timely concerns.
Recognizing that teens want to be treated as equals, NIDA scientists were careful not to preach about the dangers of drug use. Rather, the site delivers science-based facts about how drugs affect the brain and body so that kids will be armed with better information to make healthy decisions.
Elements such as animated illustrations, quizzes, and games are used throughout the site to clarify concepts, test the visitor’s knowledge, and make learning fun through interaction.
You may be wondering who’s behind this Web site and what our motivation is. Well, this Web site and the Above the Influence ads you see on TV and in magazines are created for the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign (a program of the Office of National Drug Control Policy). This campaign reflects what teens across the country have told us is going on in their lives.
Our goal is to help you stay above the influence. The more aware you are of the influences around you, the better prepared you will be to stand up to the pressures that keep you down. We’re not telling you how to live your life, but are giving you another perspective and the latest facts. You need to make your own smart decisions.
You might even consider this Web site an influence. We know that you’re very smart when it comes to the messages you see and hear. That’s great and you should question us, too. One way to do that is to review our sources. The numbers at the end of many of the facts are footnotes. You can click on them to find out where we got the information.
We hope that this site helps you to be more aware of the influences around you, and that you carefully consider the risks when you’re faced with tough decisions.
