Alcohol
Alcohol remains the substance most young people try first. Arizona youth most frequently report having used alcohol in their lifetime over any other substance, though the trend is moving in the right direction — reported 30-day alcohol use decreased across every grade level from 2022 to 2024.
Marijuana
With the combination of legalization, misunderstanding of the safety for users, and the availability of THC pens, marijuana use has outpaced the growth of nicotine vapes for youth.
Nicotine
This remains one of the most often used drug among teenagers in Arizona with the multiple modalities available, including vaping, and the highly addictive nature of nicotine to users.
Opioids and Fentanyl
This is where awareness matters most. The share of Arizona students who had never heard of fentanyl dropped sharply, from 37.7% in 2022 to 12.9% in 2024 — meaning conversations about fentanyl are reaching kids. But lifetime fentanyl use among surveyed youth ticked up slightly, from 2.1% to 2.4%, which is exactly why naloxone access and education remain core to our work.
What We Do
- Evidence-based prevention programming for youth, families, and schools
- Parent trainings equipping them with real tools to prevent drug use
- Free naloxone kits distributed throughout the community
- Naloxone training: teaching people to recognize an overdose and respond
- Drug take-back events in partnership with our local police departments