Videos: How to Engage Youth in Opioid Use Prevention

In December 2022, over 400 leaders across 42 states convened for PHI and partners’ 4th annual National Overdose Prevention Leadership Summit (NOPLS) to discuss topics addressing the opioid crisis in the United States, including learning from youth and people with lived experiences.

In these videos from the 2022 National Overdose Prevention Leadership Summit, hear how public health leaders are working to address the youth opioid crisis.

Hearing from Youth: The Spectrum of Risk

Young people encounter a wide range of risks as they navigate the pressures and social stimuli associated with increasing independence. In addition to known risks related to ongoing substance use during the teenage years, the rise of fentanyl-laced illicit pharmaceuticals is driving a rise in youth overdose among young people during their first or early encounters with drugs. This panel was focused on sharing experiences from youth in the field and helped identify conditions and behaviors that create risk for youth. They also explored ways to promote life-saving youth engagement in programs and services.

Communities Engage Youth and Get Results by Taking Action

Empower Watsonville is a community of passionate youth who support each other and build each other up. Participants learned about how Empower Watsonville formed their coalition and how they engaged youth leaders. Crystal Gonzalez and Sofia Cuentas shared reflections on Empower Watsonville’s lessons learned about how to be effective as a coalition.

Originally published by National Overdose Prevention Leadership Summit