Alcohol · Marijuana · Fentanyl · Rx
Substance Abuse
Today's teens face a drug landscape unlike any generation before — fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl, high-potency marijuana, and easy online access through social media. LEADD officers bring honesty, science, and lived experience into schools, churches, and youth groups to help teens make life-saving decisions.
By the Numbers
The cost of inaction.
U.S. teens (14–18) die every week from drug overdose — most involving fentanyl
Source: CDC / DEA
Of counterfeit pills tested by the DEA contained a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl
Source: DEA
Underage drinking deaths in the U.S. each year
Source: CDC
Of teen drivers killed in crashes had alcohol in their system
Source: NHTSA
Of fentanyl is potentially lethal — the size of a few grains of salt
Source: DEA
Increase in teen overdose deaths since 2019, driven almost entirely by fentanyl
Source: JAMA Pediatrics
U.S. teens have used an illicit drug in the past month
Source: Monitoring the Future, NIDA
Of adults with addiction started using before age 18
Source: National Center on Addiction & Substance Abuse
Why It Matters
More than a statistic.
Behind every number is a teen, a family, a classroom, and a community. Here is the context every parent, educator, and faith leader should understand.
The drug supply has fundamentally changed. A single pill bought on Snapchat or Telegram can kill a healthy teen on first use.
Marijuana today is up to 10× more potent than what parents experienced in the 1990s — with documented links to teen psychosis and suicide risk.
Alcohol remains the #1 substance involved in teen deaths from crashes, drownings, and overdoses combined.
Early use rewires the developing teen brain. Every year of delayed first use cuts lifetime addiction risk dramatically.
Warning Signs
What every adult should watch for.
LEADD trains parents, teachers, coaches, and faith leaders to recognize the early signals — long before a crisis.
Sudden drop in grades, attendance, or athletics
New friend group with no introduction to family
Bloodshot eyes, frequent nosebleeds, unexplained weight loss
Missing prescription medications or alcohol from the home
Encrypted apps (Telegram, Wickr) and burner Snapchat accounts
Cash, vape pens, small baggies, or unfamiliar pills in pockets or backpacks
The LEADD Curriculum
A complete, classroom-ready program.
Each module is delivered by a trained LEADD officer in partnership with the school counselor. Modules can be sequenced over a semester or compressed into a one-week intensive.
- 1
Module 1
One Pill Can Kill
DEA case studies, photos of seized counterfeit pills, and the chemistry of why fentanyl is different.
- 2
Module 2
What Alcohol Really Does
Brain development, blackout science, and the math of BAC, crashes, and assault risk.
- 3
Module 3
High-Potency THC
Today's marijuana, dabs, and edibles — peer-reviewed links to anxiety, psychosis, and dependence.
- 4
Module 4
Naloxone & Saving a Life
Hands-on Narcan training, Good Samaritan laws, and how to call 911 without fear.
- 5
Module 5
Recovery Is Real
Panel of young people in recovery, plus connection to local treatment and mentorship.
How LEADD Helps
Education that changes outcomes.
LEADD officers don't just visit a classroom and leave. We build year-round partnerships with educators, parents, and faith leaders so teens hear a consistent, life-saving message from every adult in their lives.
Fentanyl awareness talks
Officers share real cases from their jurisdiction — without scare tactics — so teens understand that one pill can kill.
Power of Parents workshops
Aligned with MADD's Power of Parents® curriculum, we equip parents to have the conversations that statistically reduce teen substance use.
Sober prom & graduation events
LEADD partners with schools to host alcohol-free celebrations, ride-share vouchers, and safe-ride programs around peak risk nights.
Recovery & second-chance mentorship
Officers connect at-risk teens with treatment, mentors, and community supports — not just citations.
Naloxone (Narcan) training
Free hands-on training and take-home Narcan kits for students 16+, parents, and school staff — under your state's standing-order rules.
Drug take-back partnerships
Quarterly community take-back events keep unused prescriptions out of medicine cabinets where teens find them.
"My friend bought what he thought was a Percocet from someone on Snap. He didn't wake up. The LEADD officer who came to our school saved the next kid by teaching us about Narcan."
— Marcus, 12th grade
For Parents
What you can do tonight.
You are the most important prevention program in your teen's life. These are the actions LEADD officers ask every parent to take — starting today.
- 1
Lock prescription medications — especially opioids, ADHD stimulants, and benzos. Count pills weekly.
- 2
Have the fentanyl conversation by 6th grade. Use the DEA 'One Pill Can Kill' photos.
- 3
Eat dinner together 4+ nights a week — the single most-studied protective factor for teen substance use.
- 4
Carry Narcan. Teach every teen in the house how to use it. Period.
- 5
Know the apps: Snapchat, Telegram, Wickr, and disappearing-message features are where dealers operate.
What's Included
- Fentanyl & opioid awareness
- Underage drinking prevention
- Power of Parents® workshops
- Sober prom & graduation events
- Diversion & mentorship referrals
- Narcan training & distribution
- Drug take-back events
Aligned With Trusted Partners
Our curriculum draws on the research, materials, and decades of experience of the nation's leading prevention organizations.
- MADD
- DEA — One Pill Can Kill
- SAMHSA
- Drug Free America Foundation
- NIDA
- Partnership to End Addiction
National Resources
Trusted help, one click away.
Bookmark these. Share them with your teen, your school, and your congregation. Every one of these organizations partners with LEADD.
Bring this program to your community.
We'll connect you with LEADD officers in your region — at no cost to most schools and churches.
Next Program
Suicide Prevention