​Virtual event for International Overdose Awareness Day

​We can't prevent today's drug-related deaths with yesterday's drug education.

​We've made real progress in reducing overdose deaths.

​And drug overdose remains the leading cause of death among Americans ages 18-44.

​That's not only an overdose-prevention problem.

​It's an education problem.

​For generations, American drug education has overwhelmingly focused on preventing drug use.

​But preventing use and teaching safety aren't the same thing.

​What do young people need to know about drug combinations, counterfeit pills, overdose response, medications, an unpredictable drug supply, and other real-world risks? What should an educator do when a student asks a question their curriculum never anticipated?

​And what becomes possible now that technology can help us provide accurate information when people actually need it?

​On International Overdose Awareness Day, join Sasha Simon, MPH, founder of Teach Substance, for a conversation about what harm reduction has taught us, what traditional drug education still can't provide, and how responsible AI could help close those gaps.

​We'll also address the legitimate concerns surrounding AI — including privacy, accuracy, bias, sustainability, and human oversight — and why responsible adoption requires public education and AI literacy, not simply enthusiasm for new technology.

​Drugs have changed.
Risk has changed.
Technology has changed.

It's time for drug education to catch up.

​Let's give this generation a fighting chance.

​Bring your questions.

​What have you always wanted to know about drugs? What do you wish someone had taught you? What has a young person asked that you weren't sure how to answer?

​Submit questions anonymously through Teach Substance Chat before the event. Selected questions will be answered live.

​Can't attend live? Register anyway. All registrants will receive the recording.

​Educators, parents, students and young adults, public-health professionals, school leaders, youth-serving organizations, harm reduction practitioners, and the simply curious are all welcome.