Student-Led. Evidence-Driven. Nationally Connected.
National Substance Prevention Network: A National Network Supporting Student-Led Substance Prevention Clubs
We turn substance-use research into clear, compelling case studies — and bring honest, evidence-based conversations into high-school classrooms nationwide.
Our Mission
A Peer Network for Healthier Choices
Empowering students to build healthier, drug-free communities through leadership, education, and prevention.
Why Our Organization Serves
What miseducation costs us, and what public health can do about it
The Gap
A Crisis Fed by Miseducation
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin, and it now appears in counterfeit pills made to look like Xanax, Percocet, or Adderall. Many people who die from fentanyl never intended to take it at all — they believed they were taking something else entirely, often because prevention education never reached them in time.
The Medicine
Why It's So Dangerous
Fentanyl binds rapidly to opioid receptors in the brainstem that control breathing, which can cause respiratory depression within minutes. Because it's so potent, the margin between an active dose and a fatal one is extremely small — and counterfeit pills are rarely mixed evenly, so one pill from a batch can be far stronger than the next.
The Human Cost
Who's Actually Affected
Overdose deaths involving fentanyl have risen sharply among teenagers and young adults over the past several years — a population that, in many school systems, receives little or no updated education on counterfeit pills and synthetic opioids. Families are often left blindsided, unaware their child ever encountered the drug at all.
The Response
What Public Health Can Do
Evidence-based approaches include widespread naloxone access and training, fentanyl test strip distribution, Good Samaritan laws that encourage bystanders to call for help, and honest, non-stigmatizing education about counterfeit pills — delivered before a first exposure, not after.
Takeaway
Why NSPN Exists
This is the gap NSPN chapters are built to close — translating current research on crises like this into honest, peer-led conversations that reach students before misinformation, or silence, does it for us.
This is an illustrative example for educational purposes, based on general public health research.
NSPN develops highly informative case studies on substance use and delivers them to high schools nationwide, equipping students with accurate, evidence-based information and opening honest conversations about substance abuse.
Prevention First
We build every workshop and campaign from current research — not scare tactics or outdated slogans.
Peer-to-Peer Trust
College mentors train high school leaders. High school leaders run the room — student to student, not adult to teenager.
Nationally Connected
What works in one chapter gets documented and shared with every other chapter, coast to coast.
Where NSPN Started
NSPN started with a simple observation: most substance-prevention programs are designed by adults, for teenagers, and rarely land the way they’re supposed to. We flip that model. College chapters research the science, then work directly with high school chapter leaders to turn it into case studies and conversations that actually resonate with their peers. What began as a handful of campus chapters sharing curriculum with nearby high schools has grown into a nationwide network built on one idea: prevention works better when it comes from someone you trust.
SAMHSA Strategic Prevention Framework Trained
Every NSPN board member completes training in SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) — the five-step, evidence-based planning process (assessment, capacity, planning, implementation, and evaluation) that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration developed to guide prevention work nationwide. Completing SPF training is a requirement for every incoming board member, so every case study and campaign NSPN produces is grounded in the same standard used by prevention professionals across the country.
Leadership
Meet the Board
The National Collegiate Executive Board sets curriculum, strategy, and training for every NSPN chapter nationwide. Every board member completes SAMHSA Strategic Prevention Framework training as a condition of joining.
Executive Board
IC
Founder & President
ActiveIsabella D. Choi
- Neuroscience @ Brown University, c/o 2029
- Stanford Medicine REACH Lab Certification
AW
Co-President
ActiveAaron Won
- Directly support the President in strategic planning and major decision-making.
- Coordinate daily board operations and manage key internal projects.
Director of High School Programs
Active- Lead recruitment and active support for established high school chapters.
- Support chapter leaders and monitor chapter progress.
Director of Partnerships & Outreach
Active- Drive new chapter recruitment and establish external organizational partnerships.
- Build and maintain solid long-term relationships with schools and community public health entities.
Director of Communications & Social Media
Active- Manage all official social media platforms (Instagram, LinkedIn) to grow digital presence.
- Create engaging promotional content, educational infographics, and handle organizational communications.
Director of Technology
Active- Build and manage the organization’s official website and centralized digital platforms.
- Set up virtual workspaces and provide ongoing technical support for board members.
Director of Chapter Development
Active- Develop chapter resources, support new chapter launches, and mentor chapter leaders.
Director of Events
Active- Plan and coordinate national conferences, youth workshops, and large-scale public health campaigns.
Director of Operations
Active- Organize internal board meetings, set agendas, track deadlines, and streamline daily administrative operations.
Director of Fundraising
Active- Secure corporate sponsorships, manage community fundraising campaigns, and draft federal/academic grant applications.
Director of Research & Evaluation
Active- Oversee comprehensive program evaluation, conduct scientific data analysis, and draft annual impact reports.
Treasurer
Active- Manage organizational finances and budgets.
- Track expenses and maintain financial records.
High School Leadership
Chapter Leader
Active- Lead a school or community NSPN chapter, running peer sessions, campaigns, and events under a college mentor’s guidance.
- Report chapter progress and case studies back to the National Collegiate Executive Board.
Organization
A Network Built on Three Pillars
NSPN
National Substance Prevention Network
National Collegiate Executive Board
High School Chapter Leaders
School Chapters
Community Chapters
Community Partners
↪ Collaborates with NSPN and local chapters
Current Chapters
Where We’re At
NSPN currently has affiliations at these institutions, with more launching every semester.
BrownUniversity
Johns HopkinsUniversity
University of California,Los Angeles
University ofSouthern California
Washington Universityin St. Louis
What We Do
Everything We Run Starts With the Research
Curriculum and campaigns are only as good as the science behind them. Ours comes from published addiction research — not assumptions.
Evidence-Based Curriculum
Workshops are rebuilt every year to reflect current neuroscience and public health findings on substance use.
Peer Counseling
Trained student leaders offer confidential, judgment-free conversations — no parents or teachers in the room.
Community Campaigns
Chapters run their own awareness weeks, guest lectures, and outreach events on their own campus calendar.
Join NSPN
Open Positions
Three ways to get involved — as a college leader, or a high school chapter leader in or out of school. All positions require completing SAMHSA Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) training; high school chapters also need a faculty advisor.
National Collegiate Executive Board
For College Students
Set curriculum, train mentors, and guide strategy for the entire national network.
High School Chapter Leader
For High Schoolers — In-School
Lead your school’s official chapter — run peer sessions, campaigns, and events on campus.
High School Chapter Leader
For High Schoolers — Off-Campus
Lead a community-based chapter through a local center, church, or youth organization.
Resources
Support & Crisis Resources
If you or someone you know needs help right now, these free, confidential services are available 24/7.
SAMHSA National Helpline
1-800-662-HELP (4357) — free, confidential treatment referral and information, in English and Spanish, 24/7.
Call 1-800-662-4357988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org, for free and confidential support in a suicidal or emotional crisis — 24 hours a day, every day.
Call 988More resources, including state-specific services, will be added here over time.
Contact
Talk to Us
Starting a chapter, partnering with NSPN, or bringing this to your campus? Email us — a real person reads every message.
contact@substancepreventionnetwork.org
Email Usor send a message
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