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Peace Garden News

Sunday, October 19, 2025

North Dakota highlights community roles during Substance Use Prevention Month

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Pat Traynor, Interim Director at HHS | North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services

Pat Traynor, Interim Director at HHS | North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services

North Dakota is observing Substance Use Prevention Month by encouraging community members to focus on prevention efforts. The initiative calls on parents, caregivers, students, schools, businesses, law enforcement, and the broader community to participate in activities that raise awareness about substance use risks.

Parents and caregivers are urged to have ongoing conversations with children about the dangers of substance use. Tips and resources for these discussions are available at parentslead.org.

Students and families are invited to share their own prevention messages through the statewide Parents Lead Billboard Contest, also hosted at parentslead.org.

Schools and educators are encouraged to incorporate prevention topics into classroom lessons and support resilience among students.

Businesses and employers can contribute by distributing prevention information to staff and adopting healthy workplace policies.

Law enforcement agencies and community partners are advised to apply evidence-based strategies such as compliance checks and forming community coalitions.

The public is encouraged to access the Substance Use Prevention Month Toolkit at hhs.nd.gov/behavioral-health/prevention-month. The toolkit offers guidance on connecting with local coalitions and sharing personal stories related to prevention efforts.