DEA Resources

  • What do DEA leaders have to say about drug abuse prevention for young people? Speeches and Congressional testimony given by DEA leaders offer insight and information on a variety of drug-related subjects.
  • You found a pill in the carpet of your child’s room and need help identifying it. Find photos of frequently abused drugs here.
  • The DEA Museum and Visitors Center exists to educate the American public on the history of drugs, drug addiction and drug law enforcement in the United States through engaging and state-of-the-art exhibits, displays, interactive stations and educational outreach programs. Educational outreach includes the Target America Teachers Guide, which helps educators teach students about the connections between drugs and terrorism, and the 16-page Air Land and Sea Student Activity Guide, which educates students on drug-related law enforcement.
  • What age group is most likely to try a “whippet”? What are the long-term effects of inhaling household products? Detailed information on a variety of abused drugs can be found here.
  • What are the biggest drug threats facing the United States? The 2010 National Drug Threat Assessment developed by the National Drug Intelligence Center provides a strategic overview and predictive outlook of the threat to the United States of the illicit trafficking and use of key dangerous drugs.
  • The DEA’s numerous drug prevention resources include information on various prevention products and initiatives for kids and teens. From this site you can can download "Get It Straight—The Facts About Drugs Student Guide" (2011), which provides information for middle school youth about cough medicine, over-the-counter-drugs, inhalants, marijuana, K2/spice, tobacco, and nonmedical use of prescription drugs. It also discusses the consequences of drug use and reasons why teens use drugs, including peers, media and other influences. Finally, the guide discusses making good personal decisions, and provides information about other drug prevention resources. This publication has a companion: “Get It Straight—The Facts About Drugs Facilitator Guide.” This guide is to be used in conjunction with the “Get It Straight” publication to support the implementation of various teen learning activities.
    Also, learn all about the annual national Red Ribbon Week campaign to encourage kids to choose a drug-free lifestyle and find out how you can become involved in your community.
  • From the drug prevention resources page, you can also access Just Think Twice, an award-wining site for teens about drugs. In less than two years, this site had generated millions of hits. The DEA Museum website includes a large section on an exhibit called "Good Medicine Bad Behavior: Drug Diversion in America," which shows the history of prescription drug abuse and diversion and the negative health effects when prescription drugs are used for nonmedical purposes.
  • Not only can you find detailed information on drugs and chemicals of concern at this site, but you will also find publications that can be ordered free of charge, including brochures on such topics as the abuse of steroids or on stimulant abuse by school-aged children, as well as a poster entitled How Sick People Get Their Medicines: A Primer for Children of All Ages.
  • The Controlled Substances Act is the federal law that covers drug use, manufacture and trafficking. Read it here.
  • If you want to know to what extent a particular drug or chemical is controlled and what exactly that means when it comes to availability, handling and legality, look it up on the drug schedules.
  • Is marijuana really a medicine?  Should it be legalized?  Get the facts here.  For more information on this topic click here.

Watch this Video to Uncover the Resources to Prevent Teen Drug Use